LIBRARY 

'University   of '  California^ 

IRVINE 


-'  • 


THE  DOUGLAS  NOVELS. 

A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE  IN  A  GARDEN. 

THE  FORTUNES  OF  THE  FARADAYS. 

FOES   OF  HER    HOUSEHOLD. 

A   WOMAN'S    INHERITANCE. 

CLAUDIA. 

FLOYD    GRANDON'S    HONOR. 

FROM    HAND  TO    MOUTH. 

HOME    NOOK. 

HOPE    MILLS. 

IN   TRUST. 

LOST   IN    A   GREAT  CITY. 

NELLIE    KINNARD'S    KINGDOM. 

OUT  OF   THE   WRECK. 

SEVEN    DAUGHTERS. 

STEPHEN    DANE. 

SYDNIE   ADRIANCE. 

THE  OLD  WOMAN  WHO  LIVED  IN  A  SHOE. 

WHOM    KATHIE    MARRIED.  ' 

PRICE    PER    VOL.,   $1.50. 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD,  PUBLISHERS, 
BOSTON. 


A   MODERN 


ADAM    AND    EVE 


GARDEN 


AMANDA    M.   DOUGLAS 


BOSTON  1889 
LEE     AND     SHEPARD     PUBLISHERS 

•      IO  MILK  STREET  NEXT  "  THE  OLD  SOUTH  MEETING-HOUSE*' 

NEW  YORK  CHARLES  T.  DILLINGHAM 

718  AND  720  BROADWAY 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

I.  THE  FLAVOR  OF  THE  APPLE         ....  1 

II.  FINDING  AN  EDEN 20 

III.  OUR  SHARE  OF  THE  WORLD'S  WEALTH      .        .  38 

IV.  TEMPTATION  No.  1 58 

V.  EVE  AT  BARGAIN-MAKING 75 

VI.  MY  TRAMP 94 

VII.  JOE'S  FALL  FROM  GRACE 110 

VIII.  THE  HIGH  STUDY  OF  ECONOMY     ....  126 

IX.  A  PASTORAL  IN  HENS 147 

X.  EVERY-DAY  IDYLS 166 

XI.  SUMMER  AND  SENTIMENT 189 

XII.  A  TOUCH  OF  ROMANCE 208 

XIII.  ATHENS  is  ROUSED 226 

XIV.  WINTER  BLOOMS  IN  EDEN 243 

XV.  AND  YET  ANOTHER 261 

XVI.  SOME  IMPORTANT  QUESTIONS         ....  280 

XVII.  SWEET,  FATAL  KNOWLEDGE 299 

XVIII.  TEMPTATION  No.  II 318 

XIX.  WE   ENTER  THE   GARDEN 336 

XX.  NABOBS  IN  A  SMALL  WAY 356 

XXI.  COUNTING  THE  GAINS 375 

XXII.  WEDDING  BELLS 396 

v 


CHAPTER  I 

THE  FLAVOR   OF  THE  APPLE 

"NEWS,"  says  Eve,  holding  up  a  letter,  as  I 
came  in  to  my  nine-o'clock  breakfast. 

I  desire  it  to  be  understood  that  I  am  not  a  nabob 
or  a  night-editor,  but  simply  a  telegraph  operator 
at  the  great  Mammoth  Beach.  , 

"News,"  I  return,  not  to  be  outdone.  "The 
season  closes  on  the  20th ;  and,  as  our  respective 
terms  of  service  expire,  we  take  our  month's  pay 
and  our  gripsack,  and  set  out  for  fresh  fields  and 
pastures  new." 

"Well,  we  have  expected  that,"  answers  Eve 
resignedly.  "  But  mine  is  a  great  surprise  —  from 
aunt  Carry." 

"Has  she  found  a  new  husband  for  you?" 

"  No ;  but  she  has  found  one  for  Kate,  and  you 
could  not  guess  "  — 

"  Longworth ! "  I  answer  with  decision. 


2  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

"Ok!  how  could  you?"  and  Eve  laughs.  "And 
the  funny  thing  is,  that  she  writes  just  as  if — as 
if  he  had  never  cared  for  any  one  else.  He  is  on 
the  way  to  a  fabulous  fortune,  and  they  are  to  be 
married  the  last  of  October.  Sit  down,  and  I  will 
spice  your  breakfast  with  all  the  gossip." 

Eve  pours  the  rich  brown  coffee  deftly.  There 
is  a  plate  of  toast,  a  dish  of  broiled  oysters,  some 
tempting  oatmeal,  and  luscious  cut  peaches.  The 
service  is  delicate  china,  the  cloth  snowy  white. 
Really,  a  nabob  might  fare  no  better. 

"  You  are  not  sorry  ?  I  wondered  why  aunt 
Carry  did  not  try  to  secure  him  in  the  first  place." 

"  Sorry ! "  There  certainly  is  no  regret  in  the 
tone,  or  the  sweet  young  face.  For  Eve  is  pretty,  — 
tall,  slim,  and  willowy,  with  a  proudly  poised  head, 
a  small,  spirited  face,  with  dark  eyes,  peachy  cheeks, 
and  dimpled  strawberry  mouth. 

"  He  wasn't  quite  rich  enough,  and  she  hoped  Kate 
would  do  as  well  as  the  other  two.  Oh,  dear !  does 
a  mother  take  any  comfort  in  her  children  ?  Aunt 
Carry  has  thought  of  nothing,  striven  for  nothing, 
but  her  girls'  marriages  ever  since  I  can  remember. 
And  there  is  a  sigh  of  relief  all  through  the  letter. 
Mr.  Longworth  has  some  share  or  interest  in  a  mine 
in  Arizona,  and  uncle  is  going  out  with  him  with 
a  prospect  of  making  a  fortune.  I  only  hope  it 


IN  A  GARDEN  3 

may  be  so,"  interpolates  Eve  earnestly.  "  They  will 
remain  at  Long  Branch  until  the  middle  of  October, 
then  come  up  to  the  Fifth  Avenue  for  a  fortnight, 
where  Kate  will  be  married  in  grand  style.  Aunt 
and  Helen  are  going  to  Washington  to  spend  the 
winter  with  Clara;  and  she  devoutly  hopes  Helen 
will  pick  up  a  husband,  and  her  duty  to  her  girls 
will  be  done.  She,  thinks  after  the  holidays  she 
can  make  arrangements  to  send  for  me,"  Eve 
concludes,  with  a  touch  of  hesitation. 

All  our  lives,  at  least  since  mother's  death,  aunt 
Carry's  house  has  been  home  to  us.  Uncle  Lennard 
has  given  what  he  had  with  open  hand  and  generous 
love.  There  has  been  luxury,  there  have  also  been 
severe  pinches.  But  we  both  are  in  a  manner 
homeless  —  Eve  especially  so.  There  is  a  pretty, 
wistful  look  in  her  eyes.  And  I  feel  conscience- 
smitten  that  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven  I  am  not 
in  a  position  to  make  a  permanent  home  for  one 
little  woman. 

"  Of  course  we  must  go  on  together,"  I  say. 

"  O  Adam !  if  we  only  had  a  sure  home  of  our 
own !  Aunt  Carry  has  been  very  good ;  but  I  would 
rather  stay  with  you  and  keep  house,  and  not  feel 
that  I  was  put  into  the  world  for  the  sole  purpose 
of  matrimony.  If  I  could  do  something ;  and  it 
seems  as  if  I  ought "  — 


4  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

"  Nonsense !  What  do  you  suppose  I  am  here 
for  ?  Many  a  poor  young  chap  has  a  wife  before  he 
reaches  my  term  of  years ;  and  a  sister  cannot  be 
more  expensive.  Indeed,  we  have  lived  beautifully 
this  summer.  I  never  enjoyed  any  thing  so  much." 

"  I  am  so  glad." 

Eve's  soft  eyes  swim  in  tears. 

"  There,  Kitty,  I  must  eat  and*  run.  This  evening 
we  will  talk  it  all  over.  Of  course,  you  belong  to 
me,  to  have  and  to  hold"  — 

"  To  feed  and  to  dress,  unromantic  thought,"  she 
responds,  with  a  tremble  in  her  voice. 

I  kiss  her,  and  am  off.  The  walk  is  rather  long, 
but  my  strides  soon  cover  it.  At  six  I  am  off  duty 
for  good,  and  we  have  delightful  evenings. 

There  are  only  two  of  us  now.  Two  children 
between  are  dead,  as  well  as  our  parents.  From 
what  I  remember  of  my  father,  he  must  have  been 
an  odd,  speculative,  rather  dreamy  sort  of  man. 
We  lived  in  a  little  country  town,  where  he  did 
high  farming ;  writing  a  little,  and  reading  a  good 
deal.  My  mother,  city  bred,  hated  the  country, 
except  in  summer,  when  our  house  was  always  full 
of  visitors ;  and,  the  next  town  to  us  being  quite  a 
fashionable  resort,  we  were  rather  lively. 

I  was  just  fourteen  when  he  died  suddenly,  of  a 
heart  trouble.  Every  thing  was  left  to  mother.  It 


IN  A  GARDEN  5 

was  a  period  of  great  depression  in  country  prop 
erty  ;  and  she  sold  at  a  sacrifice,  came  to  the  city, 
and,  after  some  up-hill  work,  established  herself  in 
a  boarding-house.  Here  the  sister  next  to  me  died 
of  typhoid-fever ;  and  my  mother,  worn  out,  fol 
lowed  her  in  less  than  a  month. 

Aunt  Carry  Lennard  was  her  only  sister,  —  a 
generous,  warm-hearted  woman,  given  to  what  she 
called  getting  the  good  out  of  life.  Uncle  Marvin 
was  a  broker  and  speculator ;  and  they  lived  in 
the  style  of  quite  rich  people.  Indeed,  J  always 
supposed  them  wealthy,  until  I  came  to  know  how 
hollow  the  pretension  was.  I  was  in  a  business 
college  at  this  time,  studying  telegraphy.  We  both 
went  to  live  with  uncle  Lennard.  His  only  son  had 
gone  to  South  America,  and  was  in  a  most  promising 
position. 

At  eighteen  I  began  the  world  on  forty  dollars  a 
month,  and  it  looked  like  a  fortune  to  me.  I  did  not 
care  so  much  for  the  money  as  the  opportunity  to 
travel.  I  went  South  the  ensuing  winter;  I  came  up 
to  the  North-West  in  the  summer ;  I  saw  some  of  the 
famous  cities,  had  a  taste  of  wild,  adventurous  life, 
and  looked  outward  from  the  Pacific  coast.  Some 
times  a  good  salary,  at  others  a  very  meagre  one  for 
the  work ;  often  without  a  dollar,  but  there  were 
plenty  of  "  boys  "  in  the  same  plight.  It  is  a  reck- 


6  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

less,  careless  sort  of  existence,  with  many  hardships, 
and,  alas !  many  untimely  deaths.  When  I  was  in 
desperate  straits,  I  sent  to  uncle ;  for  I  knew  there 
was  a  little  left  of  my  father's  estate.  There  was 
much  variety,  there  were  many  things  that  whole 
some  young  manhood  is  much  better  off  without. 
Is  original  sin  our  desire  to  have  our  bite  at  the 
tree  of  good  and  evil?  —  alas!  oftene'r  evil. 

I  should  like  now  to  blot  out  those  four  years. 
I  was  not  as  bad  as  hundreds  of  others.  I  saw 
wrecks  that  shocked  and  dismayed  me ;  yet  I  was 
in  the  whirl,  with  not  enough  courage  to  pull  myself 
out.  Indeed,  what  stream  was  I  to  pull  into? 

Crowds  of  homeless  chaps  living  in  boarding- 
houses  or  rooms,  and  restaurant  meals;  herding 
together  in  a  manner  that  should  fire  Christendom 
for  their  salvation.  Arduous  work,  long  hours,  poor 
pay  in  many  cases,  —  a  band  that  has  become  a  sort 
of  Pariah,  made  and  kept  so  by  the  resistless  forces 
that  grind  up  soul  and  body  into  profit.  Heathens 
are  sown  broadcast  in  our  own  land.  If  some  day 
the  seething  undercurrent  should  break  out,  the 
world  will  look  on  in  dismay,  where  it  now  smiles 
in  unbelief. 

I  was  twenty-two  when  I  found  myself  ill  in  a 
hospital  in  a  Western  city.  Through  the  winter  I 
had  charge  of  a  distant  railroad-station,  where  I  was 


IN  A  GARDEN  7 

ticket  and  express  agent,  operator,  etc.  I  had  to 
sleep  in  the  station,  for  a  train  went  through  at 
midnight  that  always  stopped ;  two  others  passed 
at  four :  and  as,  for  some  distance,  there  was  but  one 
track,  great  watchfulness  was  necessary.  I  could 
have  no  good  continuous  sleep.  It  was  very  cold, 
freight  was  often  heavy ;  and  what  with  overwork, 
some  dissipation  I  must  admit,  and  an  accident,  my 
career  came  near  being  ended.  I  was  bundled  off 
to  a  hospital,  fortunately ;  but  for  weeks  I  lay  half 
unconscious  with  fever. 

Good  nursing  from  kindly  stranger-hands  brought 
me  back  to  life.  Word  had  been  sent  to  my  uncle  ; 
and,  having  some  business  Westward,  he  hunted  me 
up.  Ah  !  what  delight  it  was  to  see  a  familiar  face, 
to  hear  a  kindly  voice  !  He  wanted  very  much  to 
take  me  back  with  him,  but  it  was  not  considered 
quite  prudent. 

"Uncle  Marvin,"  I  said,  during  the  last  visit  he 
was  able  to  make,  "I  am  sorry  to  bother  you,  but 
—  I  suppose  I  have  a  little  money  left?" 

"I'll  give  you  all  I  can  spare,"  he  answered  cheerily. 
"  My  business  out  here  has  been  most  unfortunate. 
When  I  get  home,  I'll  send  some  more  as  soon  as  I 
can.  It  has  been  a  hard  winter  everywhere." 

Something  in  his  tone  touched  me,  —  the  sort  of 
bravado  as  if  he  did  not  want  to  tell  the  truth. 


8  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EYE 

"Is  my  money  all  gone?" 

"  There,  my  boy,  don't  worry.  There  wasn't  much 
of  it ;  and  I  made  aunt  Carry  keep  the  dates  and 
the  amounts,  and  you  can  look  them  over  when  you 
get  home.  You  have  had  every  penny,  but  you 
needn't  mind  asking  me  when  you're  hard  up. 
Only,  my  boy,  —  do  not  feel  hurt  if  I  say  a  few 
words  of  good  common  sense.  You  are  throwing 
yourself  away  too  rapidly.  No  strength  will  stand 
such  drains.  I'd  turn  over  a  new  leaf.  You're  too 
nice  a  young  chap  to  waste  your  strength  and  energy 
in  dissipation,  and  wreck  yourself  before  you  reach 
middle  life.  Surely,  you  have  had  enough  of  it. 
Get  well  and  come  back  to  us,  for  Eve's  sake,  for 
your  dead  mother's  sake.  Try  to  make  a  man  of 
yourself,  and  not  drift  down  with  the  evil  tide,  until 
you  are  a  terror  and  a  disgrace.  And  now  good-by, 
my  lad.  Come  home  to  us  as  soon  as  you  can. 
You  are  young  enough  to  begin  all  over  again." 

He  wrung  my  hand  with  a  pressure  that  went  to 
my  very  soul.  That  night  I  did  some  sober  think 
ing  as  I  lay  on  my  cot.  A  sentence  I  had  heard 
somewhere  ran  through  my  mind  with  curious 
persistency,  —  "  The  way  thereof  is  death."  I  had 
been  in  that  way — I  had  seen  lads  younger  than  I 
go  swift  to  destruction  and  death.  Was  it  to  be 
desired  ? 


IN  A  GARDEN  9 

Another  curious  incident  occurred  the  next  day, 
which  I  think  helped  to  settle  my  resolves.  I  had 
never  been  any  thing  of  a  novel-reader,  but  I  took 
up  a  book  my  companion  in  the  ward  had  thrown 
aside.  It  bore  this  title,  "  The  Heir  of  Malreward." 

"  You  won't  like  that,"  he  said.  "  Beastly,  dismal, 
and  dull !  Too  preachy  altogether." 

I  opened  it  somewhere  in  the  middle,  —  the 
terrible  remorse  of  Victor  at  having  been  betrayed 
into  drunkenness  at  his  father's  dinner.  Then  I 
turned  to  the  first  page,  and  never  skipped  a  line. 
I  go  over  the  book  now ;  and  though  the  end  jars  on 
one's  desire  for  human  victory,  and  the  reward  of 
virtue,  it  is  brave,  strong,  and  manly  —  a  fight 
against  the  evil  in  the  world,  in  one's  own  soul. 

Uncle  Marvin  sent  me  a  check  for  fifty  dollars  in 
the  course  of  the  next  week.  I  was  young,  and 
had  a  good  constitution,  and  presently  began  to 
recover  rapidly.  But  I  did  not  go  home.  I  had  a 
feeling  of  pride  in  trying  my  own  mettle.  I  found 
a  situation  in  a  country  town  in  Michigan,  and 
through  that  summer  saved  my  first  money,  little 
enough,  for  the  salary  was  low.  But  when  I  returned 
to  New  York  I  had  sufficient  to  repay  uncle  his  last 
generous  loan.  I  found  that  I  was  still  nearly  a 
hundred  dollars  his  debtor,  and  I  also  realized  the 
pinches  that  were  sometimes  quite  severe  under  the 


10  A  "MODERN  ADAM  AND  EYE 

outside  show.  I  met  with  an  opportunity  to  go 
South  on  a  salary  of  eighty  dollars  a  month,  and  at 
once  accepted  it,  and  through  that  winter  finished 
the  payment ;  though  uncle  generously  handed  it  to 
Eve's  account,  I  learned  afterward.  But  the  letter 
of  commendation  and  affection  he  sent  me  repaid 
me  a  hundred  times  for  the  endeavor. 

The  next  year  I  took  out  an  endowment  policy 
in  a  life-insurance  company  for  two  thousand  dollars. 
I  would  have  that  in  case  of  an  emergency.  I  do 
not  mean  that  I  turned  saint.  A  hearty,  healthy 
young  fellow,  with  a  keen  sense  of  fun,  is  not 
much  given  to  pulling  a  long  face.  But  I  kept  my 
unwritten  pledge  over  my  sad  hero  of  Malreward, 
that  I  would  be  temperate,  and  avoid  the  evils  that 
can  only  bring  destruction  in  the  end. 

Do  those  who  blame  the  hundreds  going  astray 
ever  pause  to  think  of  the  many  temptations?  —  the 
long  hours,  the  exhausting  work,  in  railroading 
especially;  the  lack  of  home  comforts  and  nourish 
ing  diet ;  meals  cold  and  poor ;  deprivation  of  proper 
sleep  ;  illness  when  one  cannot  give  up,  and  the 
utter  physical  weariness  that  seems  to  be  overcome 
only  by  stimulants  ;  but,  ah,  at  what  a  price  !  Those 
in  authority  above  you  laugh  at  drunkenness,  as  a 
sort  of  joke.  When  doctors  cease  to  prescribe 
whiskey,  brandy,  and  opium  for .  countless  ills,  when 


IN   A   GARDEN  11 

to  be  sober  commends  you  in  the  esteem  of  your 
employers,  a  long  stride  will  be  gained. 

I  became  known  among  the  boys  by  the  sobriquet 
of  "Old  Judge,"  yet  I  have  sometimes  felt  that  my 
courage  in  fighting  this  fiery  demon  has  been  of 
some  service.  I  have  been  chaffed  unmercifully, 
tormented,  threatened,  and  on  several  occasions  have 
had  to  fight  my  way  out  of  a  half-drunken  crowd 
by  sheer  force. 

I  began  to  have  a  respect  for  myself  as  a  man 
must  when  he  treats  his  body  with  the  sacredness 
due  the  work  of  a  higher  power.  I  became  much 
interested  in  the  struggle  going  on  in  the  great 
world  between  justice  and  injustice.  I  read  up 
industrial  phases  and  troubles,  and  so-called  political 
economy,  until  it  all  seemed  a  hopeless  tangle.  One 
must  have  bread.  Competition  in  all  branches  is 
close,  but  doubly  so  in  ours,  where  a  few  months 
perfects  one  of  either  sex.  There  are  some  fine 
positions ;  but  to  the  one  of  that  kind,  hard  to  attain, 
there  are  hundreds  that  barely  provide  food  and 
shelter.  During  the  summer  season  every  thing  is 
on  the  rush.  With  autumn  comes  less  freighting 
and  travelling:  one  is  dropped  off  here,  another 
there ;  salaries  reduced  in  the  spasm  of  retrench 
ment  that  always  overtakes  corporations. 

When  Eve  was  just  past  eighteen,  I  was  in  New 


12  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

York  in  the  employ  of  the  Western  Union.  My 
salary  was  fair;  but  board,  washing,  and  necessary 
expenses  were  seldom  less  than  ten  dollars  a  week. 
I  used  to  drop  into  aunt's,  and  occasionally  take 
the  girls  to  the  theatre,  or  escort  them  to  some  party. 
The  eldest,  Clara,  was  married  very  well,  and  settled 
in  Washington.  Louise  was  engaged  to  the  son  of 
an  oil-prince,  and  was  married  that  spring.  For 
several  years  they  had  owned  a  cottage  at  Long 
Branch :  how  such  a  piece  of  real  luck  had  happened 
to  them,  puzzles  me  even  now.  They  generally  in 
the  autumn  took  a  suite  of  furnished  rooms ;  some 
times,  in  a  prosperous  season,  a  whole  house.  The 
girls  were  gay,  jolly,  and  good-looking,  always  in 
demand  for  balls  and  parties,  and  having  no  end  of 
invitations.  They  dressed  handsomely,  and  aunt 
used  a  livery-stable  coupS.  Uncle  was  brisk  and 
bright,  with  a  fine,  imposing  presence,  and  supposed 
to  be  making  a  great  deal  of  money :  certainly  they 
spent  it  lavishly.  But  they  had  a  way  of  keeping 
the  infelicities  and  economies  to  themselves. 

Louise  was  married  in  great  state,  and  her  future 
home  was  to  be  Cleveland.  About  this  time  a 
young  man  hung  around  after  Eve  a  good  deal, 
though  at  first  I  could  not  decide  whether  it  was 
she  or  Kate  who  was  likely  to  concentrate  his  fancy. 
But  through  the  summer  at  Long  Branch,  it  ripened 


IN  A  GARDEN  13 

into  an  engagement.  Aunt  Carry  was  in  her  ele 
ment  :  she  had  a  woman's  love  for  weddings.  Kate 
was  a  year  younger,  and  her  turn  would  be  next. 

Eve  was  blissfully  happy.  I  never  understood 
why  I  disliked  Reed  Ammerman :  he  was  gentle 
manly,  well-looking,  and  held  a  trusted  position  in 
one  of  the  dry-goods  palaces.  He  was  gay,  and 
fond  of  society,  lavish  in  his  expenditures,  and 
dressed  in  exquisite  taste.  Eve  was  considered  a 
fortunate  girl. 

We  had  some  talks  about  her  new  life. 

"  I  am  not  going  to  lead  this  shifty,  showy  sort  of 
existence,"  she  said  to  me  one  evening.  "  I  would 
rather  be  honestly  poor  than  have  aunt's  anxieties 
about  position.  It  is  living  on  the  edge  of  a  volcano 
that  may  yawn  and  swallow  you  up  any  time.  You 
seem  rich  to-day,  and  to-morrow  there  isn't  a  dollar, 
and  uncle  borrowing  to  meet  payments.  I  shall  be 
glad  to  come  to  something  different,  and  I  am 
thankful  that  Mr.  Ammerman  has  a  salary." 

"Do  you  know  what  it  is?"  I  inquired. 

"  No ;  but  I  shall  ask  him  as  soon  as  we  are  mar 
ried,  and  live  strictly  within  it.  I  want  to  go  to 
some  pretty  suburb,  and  presently  buy  a  cottage. 
Aunt  is  sure  it  must  be  as  much  as  three  thousand 
from  what  he  spends;  and  he  is  young, — just  your 
age." 


14  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

"It  does  seem  a  large  sum;"  and  I  sighed  envi 
ously,  I  am  afraid. 

"  We  must  plan  to  live  on  two  thousand,  and  can, 
when  we  are  away  from  so  much  extravagance. 
The  thing  is,  after  all,  that  people  care  so  little  for 
you.  You  drop  out,  and  they  dance  and  eat  without 
a  thought  of  you.  Why  should  you  be  spending 
your  money  for  them  ?  When  I  have  daughters  to 
marry,  I  may  feel  differently;"  and  a  smile  lurks 
about  her  face. 

Mr.  Calhoun,  the  superintendent  of  one  depart 
ment  of  this  great  firm,  used  to  drop  into  the 
office  on  business  errands ;  and  we  became  quite 
friendly.  One  day  he  had  to  trust  me  with  a  secret 
message.  They  feared  some  crooked  work  was 
going  on. 

"  Mr.  Calhoun,"  I  said,  —  and  my  heart  seemed  to 
bound  up  to  my  throat,  —  "I  would  like  to  ask 
you  a  question.  Do  you  know  what  salary  Mr. 
Ammerman  gets  ?  It  may  seem  impertinent ;  but  he 
is  engaged  to  my  sister,  and  I  think  I  have  a  right 
to  inquire." 

"Ammerman,"  he  repeated  thoughtfully.  "He 
is  in  the  lace-department.  About  fifteen  hundred 
a  year,  I  think." 

"Not  more  than  that?"  I  asked  in  surprise. 

"  Well,  perhaps  eighteen  hundred,  though  I  doubt 


IN  A   GARDEX  15 

it.  Hardly  enough  for  matrimony  in  such  times  as 
these,"  and  he  laughed. 

"  Has  he  any  thing  besides  ?  " 

A  horror  seized  me.  Mr.  Ammerman  spent  more 
than  eighteen  hundred  a  year,  I  felt  confident. 

"Ah! — private  means,  no  doubt." 

A  curious  expression  came  over  Mr.  Calhoun's 
countenance,  but  he  nodded  carelessly. 

I  had  a  misgiving  that  I  had  signed  my  poor 
Eve's  death-warrant.  It  haunted  me  so  that  I  staid 
away  from  her  for  several  days;  and,  dropping  in 
rather  late  one  evening,  I  found  the  two  and  aunt 
Carry  discussing  wedding-gowns  and  wedding-jour 
neys.  Mr.  Ammerman  laughed  a  little  gayly  at 
Eve's  very  moderate  ideas,  and  I  saw  his  extrava 
gant  plans  rather  annoyed  her. 

Alas,  my  poor,  sweet  Eve  !  The  very  next  week 
a  system  of  stealing  was  unearthed  at  the  great  store 
that  caused  consternation  and  grief  in  more  than 
one  household.  One  of  aunt  Carry's  neighbors  was 
bookkeeper  of  the  lace-department,  and  it  was  at 
this  house  Eve  had  met  Mr.  Ammerman.  The 
young  man  at  the  first  alarm  made  his  escape  to 
Canada.  Mr.  Rathburn  was  not  so  fortunate.  His 
wife,  a  charming  woman,  was  crushed  by  the  blow, 
and  for  days  lay  dangerously  ill.  A  compromise 
was  effected  in  his  case  by  his  returning  to  the  firm 


16  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

all  the  property  he  had  acquired.  Indeed,  in  the 
excitement  about  the  Rathburns,  Eve  quite  escaped 
gossip  and  commiseration. 

"  I  did  love  him,"  she  confessed  tremulously  to  me 
one  evening  when  we  were  alone.  "At  least,  I 
loved  my  ideal  of  Reed  Ammerman  ;  but  I  cannot 
love  any  thing  so  despicable  as  a  deliberate  thief. 
If  he  had  been  in  some  awful  trouble,  and  taken  a 
sum  of  money  to  tide  him  over,  I  could  feel  sorry, 
and  have  a  deep  sympathy  for  him, — but  to  steal 
month  after  month  with  no  compunction,  to  even 
plan  how  we  should  live  on  money  that  he  would 
steal  in  the  future!  It  is  horrible,  and  the  very 
repulsion  will  lend  me  courage  to  overlive  it.  But 
there  is  something  wrong  in  society  approval.  Every 
body  was  glad  to  receive  him  ;  and,  as  a  poor  young 
man,  few  would  have  made  him  welcome." 

Plucky  Eve  one  day  took  her  diamonds  down  to 
the  head  of  the  firm,  and  told  her  story.  The  ring 
was  especially  handsome :  then  she  had  solitaire  ear 
rings  and  a  lace-pin.  They  went  together  to  a 
jeweller's,  and  had  them  valued.  The  man  would 
pay  nine  hundred  dollars  cash  for  them. 

Mr.  A commended  Eve  very  highly  for  this 

piece  of  justice,  and  begged  her  to  keep  the  ring  ;  but 
she  could  not  be  persuaded.  The  next  day  he  sent  her 
a  pair  of  elegant  bracelets  with  his  kindest  regards. 


IN  A   GARDEN  17 

The  last  of  April  the  family  went  down  to  Long 
Branch.  I  took  a  position  on  the  Grand  Mammoth 
Beach  Railroad,  a  famous  summer  resort,  and  found 
quite  a  pleasant  home  in  one  of  the  old  country 
houses  with  a  widow  lady.  Eve  came  up,  and  spent 
a  month  with  me ;  and  during  this  time  we  drew 
very  near  together.  I  learned  to  appreciate  her 
worth,  and  used  to  wonder  how  she  had  retained 
her  simple  honesty  and  sweetness  in  the  rush  and 
whirl  of  incessant  gayety. 

"  I  am  so  tired  of  it  all ! "  she  sighed.  "  I  wish  I 
could  do  something  useful.  It  looks  so  dreary  to 
think  of  the  same  round  year  after  year.  How  do 
people  endure  it?" 

"  But  you  will  marry,"  I  said.  "  You  are  not  the 
kind  of  girl  to  break  your  heart  over  such  a  fellow 
as  that  Ammerman." 

"  No,  my  heart  is  not  broken.  But,  oh,  if  I  had 
been  his  wife  when  it  came  out !  I  think  of  poor 
Mrs.  Rathburn,  who  is  dying  of  consumption,  they 
say ;  but  I  think  it  is  the  intense,  intolerable  shame 
that  stings  like  a  serpent.  I  wish  I  could  give 
lessons  in  painting  or  music,  but  aunt  Carry  will  not 
hear  of  it." 

"  No,"  I  replied.  "  You  are  too  sweet  and  pretty 
to  fight  your  way  through  the  world." 

Eve  sighed.     "  Fighting  for  a  lover  would  be  less 


reprehensible,  I  suppose.  It  is  parties  and  operas 
and  teas  and  receptions;  and  how  to  disguise 
your  old  gowns  to  make  them  look  like  new; 
and  to  be  pestered  by  debts  and  duns.  It  seems 
a  mad  chase  after  something  —  pleasure  —  with  no 
real  satisfaction  in  it.  You  dance  and  talk  and 
flirt,  and  watch  warily  for  the  man  with  the  most 
money." 

"  But  why  do  women  do  it?  Men  would  like  real 
homes,  and  not  all  this  sham  and  confusion,"  I 
answered. 

"Would  they?"  and  Eve  gives  a  half-doubtful 
smile.  "They  are  so  much  in  the  rush  and  whirl, 
that  they  are  first  to  complain  of  the  dulness.  Uncle 
Marvin  is  uneasy  when  there  is  no  company.  Aunt 
Carry  falls  asleep  in  her  chair,  and  Kate  always 
dozes  on  the  lounge.  One  gets  so  awfully  worn 
out  in  society.  It  does  seem  as  if  there  ought  to 
be  a  better  life  for  human  beings." 

We  had  many  of  these  talks,  although  we  were  in 
the  greatest  whirl  of  all.  Every  day  brought  a 
crowd,  and  Sundays  a  jam.  In  fact,  there  were  no 
Sundays.  I  had  to  be  at  my  post  just  the  same : 
indeed,  I  handled  more  people  on  our  little  railway 
that  day  than  any  other.  But  my  house  was  a  short 
distance  out,  and  Eve  found*  much  entertainment 
with  quaint  Mrs.  Williams. 


IN  A   GARDEN  19 

When  the  season  closed,  the  company  sent  me 
South  to  a  resort  they  were  trying  to  build  up  there  ; 
so  Eve  and  I  said  a  tender  good-by  that  was  to  last 
the  next  seven  months. 


20  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EYE 


CHAPTER  II 

FINDING  AN  EDEN 

EVE  returned  to  aunt  Carry's.  Kate  was  engaged 
to  a  young  man  whose  rich  mother  was  very  anxious 
he  should  marry.  He  was  a  wild,  dissipated  fellow ; 
but  Mrs.  Brinkerhoff  was  extremely  sweet  to  Kate, 
and  the  family  was  very  aristocratic.  Aunt  Carry 
was  really  opposed  to  it,  and  my  sweet  Eve  was 
shocked.  Then  she  wrote  of  a  Mr.  Longworth,  a 
man  of  five  and  thirty,  rather  loud,  engaged  in  some 
sort  of  silver-mining ;  and  after  a  little  he  surprised 
her  by  a  proposal  of  marriage,  which  she  peremp 
torily  declined,  and  thereby  vexed  aunt  Carry. 

"  If  we  could  have  some  simple  little  home  of  our 
own,"  was  the  refrain  of  every  letter. 

I  had  so  organized  the  matter  I  had  taken  in 
hand,  that  my  assistant,  a  young  fellow  at  forty 
dollars  a  month,  could  perform  the  duties ;  so  why 
should  a  rich  corporation  pay  eighty  ?  Besides,  the 
season  at  Great  Mammoth  Beach  was  soon  to  open, 
so  I  came  North.  Eve  was  overjoyed. 

"Take  me  somewhere  with  you,"  she  cried,  "or 


IN  A  GARDEN  21 

Mr.  Longworth  will  have  the  life  worried  out  of 
me,  for  aunt  Carry  is  resolved  that  I  shall  marry 
him." 

Meanwhile  Kate's  engagement  came  to  a  tragic 
end.  Young  Brinkerhoff,  in  a  fit  of  delirium 
tremens,  —  insanity,  the  papers  kindly  said,  —  shot 
himself.  Kate  had  some  handsome  diamonds,  and 
did  not  seem  much  depressed  by  the  affair.  Uncle 
Marvin  had  met  with  several  heavy  losses,  and  they 
were  preparing  to  go  to  Long  Branch. 

"  But  I  can't  go  with  them,  for  I  will  not  marry 
Mr.  Longworth.  Nothing  would  induce  me  to  begin 
my  life  in  such  a  hap-hazard  way,  never  knowing 
whether  you  were  rich  or  poor,  and  always  trying  to 
live  on  the  rich  side.  I  would  sooner  be  a  nursery- 
governess,"  declared  Eve. 

I  went  down  to  see  Mrs.  Williams.  She  did  not 
want  to  take  any  one  to  board,  as  she  wished  to  do 
some  visiting  herself;  but  she  would  rent  us  three 
rooms,  furnished.  Eve  was  overjoyed  with  the  pros 
pect.  By  the  middle  of  May  we  were  settled,  and 
happy  as  bees  in  clover.  We  had  a  nice  large  living- 
room  down-stairs,  and  privilege  of  the  parlor,  and 
two  comfortable  sleeping-rooms  up-stairs.  There 
were  a  pretty  flower-garden  and  grass-plot ;  and  in 
the  back  of  the  yard,  fenced  in  by  themselves,  were 
ten  hens,  which  were  an  unfailing  source  of  interest. 


22  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

Our  next-door  neighbor  was  very  kindly,  so  it  was 
not  lonesome  when  Mrs.  Williams  was  away. 

Certainly  it  was  a  most  delightful  summer.  True, 
one  of  the  "  boys "  fell  in  love  with  Eve,  and  quar 
relled  with  me  because  he  thought  I  aided  and 
abetted  his  refusal. 

"  The  world  is  too  old  for  love-matches,"  said  Eve. 
"  We  cannot  play  at  Strephon  and  Phyllis,  forever 
wandering  in  flowering  meads.  We  must  pay  house- 
rent,  and  provide  for  butcher  and  baker,  groceries 
and  clothes,  fires  and  lights,  car-fares  and  a  hundred 
and  one  things  that  Strephon  never  dreamed  of,  and 
hardly  dreams  of  to-day;  so  Phyllis  must  consider 
the  chances  of  her  husband  being  out  of  work  and 
ill  occasionally." 

"  But  you  are  willing  to  try  it  with  me,"  I  made 
answer. 

"If  misfortunes  come,  I  am  quite  sure  you  will 
not  take  to  drink ;  and  there  will  be  no  children  to 
suffer.  I  really  wonder  how  very  poor  people  dare 
to  marry,  and  make  their  lives  harder.  Am  I 
growing  very  mercenary?  But  I  have  seen  some 
of  it." 

I  had  seen  a  great  deal  of  it.  Many  a  wife  strug 
gling  along  half-starved,  some  deserted  after  a  j^ear 
or  two,  when  the  young  fellow  found  it  too  severe 
a  pull ;  others  who  would  have  been  fortunate  if  a 


IN  A   GARDEN  23 

brutal  and  indolent  husband  had  left  them  to  do  for 
themselves.  Twice  in  those  early  years  I  had  been 
almost  tempted,  but  the  hostages  to  fortune  came 
too  high.  No  doubt,  the  family  system  is  the  struc 
tural  unit  of  society.  It  has  helped  men  to  possess 
and  conquer  the  earth.  The  boarding-houses  provide 
none  of  the  restraints  or  incentives  of  home.  But 
the  labor  system  of  the  present  day  makes  marriages 
almost  an  impossibility.  No  one  is  educated  for 
home  life.  Girls  of  fourteen  take  their  places  in 
shops,  stores,  and  offices.  To  them  the  day  is 
rounded  by  the  evening's  amusement,  and  they  long 
for  the  excitement.  Quiet  life  is  too  humdrum. 
The  irregularity  of  employment  is  a  fatal  discour 
agement.  The  swift  fingers  of  machinery  soon  piles 
up  a  store  of  goods,  then  ensues  a  dull  season.  The 
man  looks  his  starving  family  in  the  face,  and  in 
wardly  curses  the  brief  affection  that  made  him 
dream  they  would  be  a  delight.  Deserted  wives 
are  to  be  met  with  everywhere ;  and  many  husbands, 
when  they  first  set  out  in  search  of  work,  have  no 
intention  of  making  the  separation  final.  But  labor 
is  simply  a  commodity,  and  does  not  recognize  wife 
or  husband,  parent  or  child.  The  cheapest  labor  is 
the  continual  cry. 

And  now  a  change  was  impending  for  us.     Hence 
forward  Eve  must  be  my  care. 


24  A  MODEKN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

We  talked  about  it  all  the  evening.  She  was 
pleased  that  aunt  Carry  had  written  so  cordially, 
and  approved  Kate's  marriage.  There  was  also  an 
invitation  for  her  to  come  down  to  Long  Branch. 

Whatever  happened,  we  would  keep  together. 
We  had  managed  to  save  up  a  little  money  this  sum 
mer.  I  was  the  happy  possessor  of  about  three  hun 
dred  dollars ;  and  Eve  had  that  sum  left  from  her 
portion,  and  a  piano.  She  did  not  incline  to  New 
York,  neither  did  she  wish  to  go  very  far  away  from 
it.  There  were  so  many  contractions  at  this  season 
of  the  year. 

I  heard  of  a  place  in  Florida,  and  one  in  Indiana. 

"Why,  we  might  go  to  Florida,  and  have  an 
orange-grove.  I  believe  I  have  inherited  father's 
taste  for  the  country.  In  the  course  of  time,  you 
might  give  up  telegraphing." 

I  laughed  at  that. 

Being  in  New  York  a  few  days  later,  I  ran  against 
one  of  the  "boys." 

"  See  here,"  said  he,  "  do  you  remember  Warren  ? 
He  is  out  on  the  E.  &  P.  road,  —  some  sort  of  a  little 
town  where  he  is  every  thing  rolled  in  one ;  but 
it's  not  a  hard  place,  and  late  trains  only  twice  a 
week.  He  is  in  an  awful  taking  to  go  to  Florida, 
and  he  doesn't  look  as  if  he'd  live  the  winter  out, 
anyway.  Maybe  you'd  like  that?" 


IN  A  GARDEN  25 

"And  I  could  put  him  in  a  way  of  going  to 
Florida." 

"  Good.     You  had  better  run  over  and  see  him." 

Athens,  the  place  was  called ;  near  one  consider 
able  city,  and  some  nine  miles  from  another,  the 
terminus  of  the  road;  and  less  than  an  hour's  ride 
from  New  York.  I  resolved  to  go  out  and  see  what 
I  thought  of  it. 

Athens  had  once  been  a  country  of  productive 
farms,  until  the  mania  for  improvement  had  swept 
over  it  with  a  devastating  hand.  Streets  had  been 
laid  out,  some  quite  pretentious  villas  built,  and 
rows  of  cottages.  A  lazy  river  flowed  peaceably 
along  at  one  edge,  not  much  vexed  with  shipping, 
although  several  factories  embellished  it.  'The  land 
seemed  a  natural  succession  of  terraces.  One  beau 
tiful,  broad  avenue  ran  along  just  back  of  the  river. 
Here  years  ago  the  aristocracy  had  settled  them 
selves,  —  good  old  Dutch  people,  who  rejoiced  in  the 
names  of  Schuyler,  Van  Rensselaer,  Van  Duyne, 
Egbert,  and  so  on.  About  a  quarter  of  a  mile  back 
was  another  avenue ;  and  the  next  was  the  county- 
road,  a  fine,  Telford-paved  street.  Each  one  was  about 
thirty  feet  higher  than  its  neighbor.  Above  this  ran 
the  railroad ;  and,  as  you  went  on  toward  the  west, 
the  town  still  displayed  the  same  gradual  rise.  Some 
times,  indeed,  a  street  or  lane  was  positively  steep. 


26  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

Just  below  the  station,  Rutherford  Avenue  that 
was,  there  were  some  lovely  houses  and  lawns',  built 
at  the  time  of  the  rage  for  country  homes,  and  were 
now  for  sale.  Indeed,  the  whole  place  seemed  for 
sale?  —  great  tracts  of  weed-grown  land  that  had  the 
shape  of  city  blocks,  many  of  them  containing  not 
more  than  one  or  two  houses.  Farther  to  the  west 
was  the  town  of  Milford,  of  which  Athens  had  once 
been  a  part.  It  was  a  lovely  section  of  country, 
though  speculators  had  wasted  its  substance;  but 
this  sunny  October  day,  while  it  was  still  abloom 
with  asters  of  every  hue,  golden-rod,  the  furze  of  the 
clematis,  and  the  red  berries  of  the  bitter-sweet,  I 
quite  fell  in  love  with  it. 

The  station  was  trim  and  rather  attractive,  the 
high,  peaked  roof  making  it  two  stories.  I  took  my 
walk  about  the  place,  and  returned,  as  I  saw  the 
next  train  winding  down  through  the  distant  trees. 
The  waiting-room  was  large,  clean,  and  in  the  eastern 
window  a  great  mound  of  greenery  with  a  few  flowers. 
The  office  was  at  the  southern  end,  and  below  it  a 
little  freight  and  express  place  and  coal-bin. 

Warren  came  out  as  the  train  slowed  up.  There 
were  two  passengers  to  get  off,  and  a  little  freight  to 
put  on.  I  should  never  have  recognized  in  the  pale, 
sunken-eyed  fellow  the  round,  rosy  country  chap  of 
three  years  before. 


IN  A  GARDEN  27 

"Hillo!"   I  said. 

"I 'ought  to  know  you  —  but  there  are  such  swads 
of  boys"  — 

"  Thurston." 

"  Oh !  Ad  Thurston,  —  Old  Judge  !  Well,"  with 
a  wan  smile,  "  there's  no  use  inquiring  about  your 
health.  How  do  you  manage  to  keep  in  such  splen 
did  order  ?  Out  of  a  job  ?  Grand  Beach  closed  up, 
I  suppose  ? " 

"  Yes  to  both  questions." 

"  Had  a  jolly  time  there,  I  dare  say  ?  Excuse  this 
horrid  barking.  I  took  a  cold  last  March,  and  have 
never  been  over  the  cough.  Say,  old  chap,  do  you 
know  of  any  Southern  places?  I'd  like  to  swap 
with  some  fellow." 

I  unfolded  Thompson's  scheme. 

"  The  very  thing,"  declared  Warren.  "  Let's 
trade.  Though  this  place  isn't  much,  and  it's  a  dull 
little  hole  ;  but  the  work  is  easy." 

The  salary  I  found  was  forty-five  dollars  a  month. 
You  were  ticket-agent,  freight,  express,  telegrapher. 
It  was  the  branch  road  of  a  long  main  line,  and  took 
a  sort  of  dStour  to  accommodate  some  business 
towns.  Up  above  at  Springdale  there  was  quite  a 
hotel  and  summer-boarding.  The  first  train  was  at 
6.10.  From  that  until  ten  they  ran  quite  frequently, 
afterward  stopping  on  signal  about  once  an  hour. 


28  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

From  four  until  seven  quite  brisk  again.  The  last 
train  came  up  at  nine,  except  a  theatre-train  on 
Saturday  night,  and  one  on  Wednesday  night 
through  the  three  summer  months.  Certainly  the 
duties  were  not  arduous. 

"  Do  you  suppose  I  could  get  two  or  three  rooms 
for  housekeeping?"  I  asked. 

"  Oh !  you're  married ! "  with  the  peculiar  intona 
tion  in  which  one  says,  "  Well,  you  have  done  it !  " 

"  No ;  but  my  sister  will  be  with  me." 

"  There  are  two  decentish  rooms  up-stairs.  The 
old  fellow  who  was  here  before  me  kept  house  with 
his  wife.  I  sleep  here,  and  take  my  meals  just  down 
the  street." 

"  Let's  see  them,"  I  proposed. 

The  roof  cut  off  the  corners,  and  the  wide  eaves 
shut  out  some  of  the  light ;  but  the  window  to  the 
north  was  large.  The  room  was  the  size  of  the  one 
down-stairs.  Indeed,  it  looked  immense  with  noth 
ing  in  it.  There  was  a  small  chimney,  and  some  one 
had  used  a  stove.  The  other  one  was  much  smaller, 
and  the  stairs  came  up  in  it  from  the  office.  Warren's 
cot-bed  was  here :  a  little  washing-stand,  a  chair,  and 
a  trunk  completed  the  furniture.  But  the  office 
really  looked  cheery.  There  were  plants  in  the 
window,  a  large,  old-fashioned  desk,  a  carpet-lounge, 
some  book-shelves,  and  pictures. 


IN  A   GARDEN  29 

Warren  was  quite  urgent.  "  I  wouldn't  find  the 
place  so  bad ;  and  at  Northwood  there  was  a  theatre 
and  considerable  amusement,  lots  of  boys  ;  and  New 
York  was  soon  reached.  Florida  would  be  just  the 
thing  for  him,  and  he  knew  I  could  stand  it  one 
winter.  No  doubt,  I  would  go  back  to  the  beach 
in  the  summer." 

Of  course  I  knew  I  could.  I  returned,  and 
laid  the  matter  before  Eve.  She  had  no  especial 
yearning  for  Florida  and  orange-groves.  The  next 
day  we  both  went  to  view  the  delectable  little  town, 
and  she  really  liked  it.  Then  she  packed  up  her 
small  belongings,  and  went  to  Long  Branch  for  a 
few  days  while  I  was  negotiating.  Aunt  Carry  was 
delighted  to  have  her ;  and  she  staid  behind  to  put 
the  house  in  order,  when  they  came  up  to  New 
York,  where  about  four  days  later  she  joined  them. 
I  went  to  Athens  two  days  for  Warren  to  post  me, 
and  bought  his  lounge,  easy-chair  and  the  cot  and 
square  of  carpet  up-stairs.  He  left  me  with  warm 
expressions  of  gratitude,  and  went  away  with  the 
utmost  hope ;  but  before  February  had  ended,  he 
had  gone  "over  to  the  great  majority,"  poor 
fellow. 

I  took  possession  with  an  odd  sort  of  feeling,  as 
if  I  had  settled  down  into  a  family-man ;  though  I 
knew,  pretty  girl  as  Eve  was,  she  would  marry 


30  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

some  time.  The  first  thing  was,  to  get  a  woman 
to  come  and  clean  up ;  and  in  two  days  she  made 
.every  thing  shine.  I  donated  the  cot  to  her,  and 
fumigated  the  lounge.  Then,  as  the  walls  had  been 
painted,  I  gave  them  another  coat  of  pretty  pinkish 
gray,  and  went  over  the  woodwork.  I  had  been 
quite  used  to  furbishing  up  stations. 

Eve  ran  away  for  one  day,  and  came  over.  She 
declared  herself  delighted;  but  it  seemed  to  me  it 
must  be  a  horrible  contrast  between  this  and  an 
elegant  hotel.  She  charged  me  strictly  not  to  buy 
any  furniture  until  she  came.  We  had  accumulated 
some  dishes  and  two  chairs. 

"  And  aunt  Carry  has  given  me  a  great  trunk  full 
of  clothes  and  things.  They  have  rented  their 
cottage  for  next  summer  at  a  hundred  dollars  a 
month ;  and,  O  Adam  !  doesn't  it  seem  dreadful  ? 
but  aunt  Carry  actually  took  up  two  thousand 
dollars  on  a  mortgage  for  Kate's  wedding.  Uncle 
Marvin  was  not  very  fortunate  through  the  summer," 
and  Eve  sighed. 

"  I  thought  the  house  was  aunt  Carry's  one  sacred 
possession,"  I  remarked. 

"  So  it  is.  Uncle  Marvin  wanted  a  quiet  wedding, 
but  Kate  would  not  consent.  He  has  promised  to 
clear  the  house  again  as  soon  as  possible.  And, 
isn't  it  funny  ?  none  of  them  seem  to  remember  that 


IN  A  GAKDEN  31 

Mr.  Longworth  ever  wanted  to  marry  me.  He  isn't 
a  bit  embarrassed,  and  is  as  proud  of  Kate  as  he 
can  be.  She  is  just  the  wife  for  him.  They  are  all 
spending  money  as  if  there  was  no  end  to  it." 

To  please  Eve,  I  hired  a  dress-suit,  and  went  to 
the  wedding,  which  took  place  in  one  of  the  Fifth- 
Avenue  parlors.  Eve,  Helen,  and  another  young 
lady,  were  maids  of  honor.  There  was  an  elegant 
reception,  and  the  bride  looked  superb.  At  six 
that  evening  they  started  for  Chicago,  on  their  way 
to  San  Francisco.  Aunt  Carry  was  really  pleased 
that  I  had  come. 

Eve  did  not  return  until  the  next  day.  Aunt 
and  Helen  had  started  for  Washington.  I  knew,  by 
the  long,  tender  embrace  Eve  gave  me,  that  she  felt 
she  had  turned  the  first  chapter  of  her  life.  I  had 
engaged  board  for  her  at  Mrs.  Corwin's,  where  I 
took  my  meals.  The  two  trunks  were  deposited  at 
the  station. 

Eve  was  very  tired,  and  went  straight  to  bed  as 
soon  as  supper  was  over.  The  next  day  she  was 
bright  as  a  lark.  She  was  sure  she  should  like 
every  thing  and  every  body,  and  housekeeping  at 
the  station  would  be  a  sort  of  picnic. 

"And  you  do  not  regret  that  you  are  not  whirling 
along  in  a  palace -car  with  Mr.  Longworth?"  I 
asked  rather  banteringly. 


32  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

"O  Ad!  I  wouldn't  be  his  wife  for  all  the  world, 
though  then  there  wouldn't  be  the  continual 
struggle  to  seem  rich !  It  is  all  show.  Kate  was  in 
a  whirl  of  delight,  and  thought  it  a  great  stroke  to 
be  at  the  hotel,  because  her  presents  were  more 
numerous.  They  were  elegant,  —  at  least  many  of 
them  ;  and  a  few  of  the  cheaper  ones  she  disdainfully 
gave  to  me.  Mr.  Longworth  has  passes  nearly  all 
the- way  through,  and  she  was  so  elated.  Somehow, 
I-  should  want  my  husband  to  pay  for  our  wedding 
journey.  I  just  wondered  how  many  other  people 
in  that  elegant  throng  were  pinching  along  in  the 
same  way,  yet  making  a  grand  appearance.  It  is 
really  '  swell,'  —  that  is  just  the  word  for  it.  But 
I  hope  they  are  all  happy ;  and  we  will  take  some 
comfort  in  our  way.  I  can  understand  how  Ulysses 
felt  when  his  wanderings  were  at  an  end.  He  had 
seen  much  that  was  wonderful,  but  he  was  glad  to 
get  to  his  own  home." 

"  It  certainly  was  more  inviting  than  ours." 

"You  shall  not  be  lugubrious.  And  now,  like 
Consider  Miller's  cow,  we  must  'consider,'  though 
we  are  not  reduced  to  quite  such  straits ; "  and  Eve 
laughed  merrily. 

That  heartened  me  up.  But  it  did  seem  such  a  long 
step  from  .the  luxury  of  Fifth  Avenue  to  two  rooms 
in  a  railroad-station,  and  forty-five  dollars  a  month. 


IN  A  GARDEH  33 

The  result  of  our  consideration  was,  that  the  large 
room  must  be  parlor,  kitchen,  and  Eve's  sleeping- 
room.  We  must  have  a  cooking-stove,  a  carpet,  a 
bedroom  suite,  a  table,  and  some  chairs.  Thirty-six 
yards  of  carpet  would  leave  a  small  bare  space  at 
each  side,  the  room  being  nearly  fifteen  feet  wide. 

"  Matting,"  suggested  Eve,  "  and  some  pretty  rugs. 
All  the  floors  are  matted  at  aunt  Carry's.  And  we 
might  find  some  second-hand  goods." 

"I  wouldn't  risk  any  thing  but  a  stove.  That 
could  not  give  you  typhoid  very  well." 

She  laughed. 

We  went  to  New  York  and  purchased  sixty  yards 
of  beautiful  matting  in  four  remnants,  which  cost, 
with  freight,  just  eighteen  dollars.  We  stumbled 
over  some  pretty  brussels  carpet  in  odd  lengths,  and 
two  elegant  pieces  of  velvet.  As  we  meant  house 
keeping  for  a  permanency,  we  might  as  well  start 
with  some  of  the  articles  our  hearts  craved. 

We  found  the  stove  at  Athens,  in  the  stove  and 
plumbing  establishment.  When  we  had  our  matting 
down,  the  man  came  and  put  it  up  ;  and  the  whole 
cost  was  eight  dollars  and  sixty  cents.  I  must  add 
that  it  proved  an  excellent  bargain. 

We  went  down  to  Northwood.  I  knew  the  place 
quite  well,  having  once  for  some  months  held  a 
position  in  one  of  its  offices.  It  was  a  thriving  and 


34  A  MODEKN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

prosperous  manufacturing  city ;  and  we  found  that 
its  stores,  or  rather  its  prices,  compared  favorably 
with  our  greater  metropolis.  We  purchased  a  pretty 
ash  chamber-suite,  springs  and  mattress,  and  a  cot, 
some  chairs  and  a  table. 

When  we  reached  Athens  we  found  some  posters 
of  an  auction  at  Clifton  had  been  left.  The  owner 
was  dead,  and  all  the  household  furniture  was  to  be 
sold. 

"Let  us  go,"  said  Eve.  "Though  first  we  must 
count  over  our  money.  I  think  we  have  been 
extravagant." 

We  had,  owing  to  Eve's  excellent  management, 
accumulated  during  the  summer  a  little  store  of 
about  eighty  dollars.  We  had  spent  sixty-seven  of 
it  already.  My  half -month's  salary  would  pay 
board  until  we  were  settled,  and  give  us  a  little 
besides.  We  had  some  sheets  and  pillow-cases  that 
Eve  had  made  in  the  summer;  but  no  pillows,  no 
blankets. 

The  succeeding  day  was  rainy.  We  settled  our 
rooms,  putting  down  some  matting  in  the  smaller 
room,  and  setting  up  my  cot  in  one  corner.  As  we 
hated  to  shut  up  the  north  window,  we  stood  the 
bedstead  down  a  little  way  in  the  large  room  — 
Eve's  that  was  to  be.  It  seemed  almost  to  cut  it  in 
two,  but  we  could  do  no  better.  The  stove-end 


IN  A  GARDEN  35 

would  be  the  kitchen.  We  placed  our  chairs,  our 
table,  Eve's  rocking  -  chair,  and  my  folding  arm  - 
chair. 

"  And  now  we  must  invent  a  closet,"  said  Eve  in  a 
sort  of  dismayed  tone. 

Thoughts  of  building  one  ran  through  my  mind. 
I  was  quite  an  expert  at  using  carpenter's  tools. 

"  Three  or  four  packing-boxes  would  make  one," 
resumed  Eve.  "  The  summer  we  were  in  the 
Adirondacks  we  emptied  our  boxes  and  used  them. 
We  thought  it  no  end  of  fun,  yet  we  were  not  as 
comfortable  as  you  and  I  will  be  here." 

"  You  do  take  a  most  cheerful  view  of  it,"  I  said 
laughingly. 

"  If  I  had  been  born  rich  instead  of  handsome,  and 
always  lived  in  one  house,  I  should  not  have  learned 
the  art  of  making  myself  comfortable,"  Eve  said 
drolly.  "  You  have  no  idea  of  the  hardships  people 
take  for  pleasure.  We  had  a  furnished  cottage  a 
month  at  Lake  George,  and  there  was  nothing  useful 
in  it.  Oh,  the  straits  and  perplexities  aunt  Carry 
and  I  had !  Louise's  lover  was  up  there,  —  it  was  just 
before  she  was  married,  —  and  we  absolutely  didn't 
have  dishes  enough  to  go  round ;  and  as  for  beds  — 
well,  I  used  to  roll  up  a  bundle  of  clothes  for  a  pil 
low  ;  and  I  can  do  it  here.  But  we  look  a  little  like 
living.  And  now  I  am  going  to  unpack  my  trunk. 


36  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

Kate  gave  me  a  set  of  plated  knives  and  forks,  so 
we  will  not  have  those  to  buy.  And  butters,  and 
some  salts ;  and  you  have  two  birthday  china  cups, 
and  I  have  three,  and  a  number  of  plates." 

There  was  quite  an  array  of  dishes  when  she  took 
them  out.  Then  she  had  some  silver  of  mother's, 
and  some  tablecloths  and  napkins.  Really,  we  were 
quite  rich. 

"  We  must  not  spend  more  than  ten  dollars  at  the 
auction,"  she  declared  presently. 

We  went  up  the  next  day  about  noon.  Most  of 
the  articles  were  disposed  of  very  cheaply.  We 
purchased  two  pairs  of  pillows,  some  needed  kitchen 
utensils,  a  clock,  a  bureau,  and,  joy  !  a  small  closet, 
for  eleven  dollars  all  told. 

At  the  end  of  the  first  week  in  November  we  were 
in  living  order,  Mrs.  Corwin  having  lent  us  some 
blankets  until  we  could  get  ours.  What  with  the 
large  stove  in  the  waiting-room  and  our  range,  which 
burned  beautifully,  we  were  cosily  warm.  Pictures 
had  been  arranged  on  some  improvised  brackets.  I 
had  made  Eve  a  workstand  which  she  covered  with 
part  of  an  antiquated  dress,  and  now  I  was  busy 
at  a  sort  of  bookcase  to  hold  our  intellectual 
treasures. 

Our  first  supper  was  a  success.  Indeed,  I  had 
enjoyed  the  last  week  immensely,  and  sat  down  to 


IN  A  GARDEN  37 

my  own  table  with  the  delight  of  a  true  house 
holder.  We  did  not  envy  the  bridal  couple,  nor  sigh 
for  the  delights  of  palaces.  There  are  times  when 
one  feels  quite  content,  brief  seasons  of  a  lost 
paradise. 


38  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 


CHAPTER  III 

OUR  SHARE  OF  THE  WORLD'S  WEALTH 

As  if  to  try  us  the  next  morning,  there  came  an 
offer  of  a  situation  in  New  York  with  a  salary  of 
sixty-five  dollars  a  month. 

"  If  it  only  had  come  sooner !  "  I  cried  regretfully. 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Eve,  drawing  her  brows  into 
a  wise  little  frown.  "  It  is  true  that  you  can  have 
every  thing  in  New  York,  but  it  costs  a  great  deal 
of  money.  Perhaps  it  is  better  to  be  out  of  tempta 
tion's  way.  Out  of  the  extra  twenty  dollars  we 
would  probably  spend  fifteen  for  rent,  and  five  for 
car-fares.  And  we  would  have  to  think  about 
company." 

"Do  you  mean  to  make  a  hermit  of  yourself 
here?"  I  asked. 

She  laughed.  "  Why,  I  know  half  the  people  in 
town  already.  They  can  call  on  me  in  the  office 
down-stairs.  Some  of  them  are  very  entertaining, 
and  a  little  afraid  of  me,  I  think.  They  can't  decide 
just  where  to  class  me.  My  clothes  are  so  fine,  and 
I  have  an  air  of"  — 


IN  A   GARDEN  39 

"  Of  courts,"  I  interpolated. 

"I  fancy  some  of  them  suspect  me  to  be  a  princess 
in  disguise,  especially  that  young  Pryor.  I  feel  that 
I  shall  not  lack  for  amusement.  I  might  not  want 
to  live  here  forever,  but  I  shall  enjoy  it  for  a  while. 
It  is  not  half  so  bad  as  being  out  on  a  section,  and  I 
have  even  considered  the  feasibility  of  that.  But 
I  never  told  you — what  Mrs.  Harwood  said  to  me  on 
the  night  of  the  wadding,  did  I  ? ''  and  Eve  glances 
up  hesitatingly.  "  You  remember  her,  surely,  —  a 
little  old  lady  with  very  white  hair  and  very  black 
eyes.  She  was  quite  a  visitor  at  aunt  Carry's." 

"I  think  I  do,"  I  answered. 

"  She  asked  me  if  I  was  going  to  Washington ;  and 
I  told  her  I  expected  to  spend  the  winter,  at  least, 
keeping  house  for  you.  Then  she  said,  brothers 
sometimes  married ;  and  when  I  was  out  of  a  situa 
tion,  I  must  come  to  her,  —  that  I  would  find  one 
in  readiness.  It  was  very  kind  of  her." 

"O  Eve!  I  wonder "- 

"  Cease  to  wonder,  then,"  said  she.  "  I  do  think, 
if  Mrs.  Harwood  had  offered  me  a  companionship 
last  winter  when  aunt  Carry  was  throwing  Mr. 
Longworth  at  me  continually,  I  should  have  taken 
it.  But  now  I  have  cast  in  my  lot  with  you "  — 

"  And  if  you  should  find  it  a  lot  of  sacrifice  and 
privations  "  — 


40  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

"  Then  I  can  get  up  and  go,"  answered  Eve,  with 
such  adorable  candor  that  I  laughed.  "You  see, 
here  we  have  a  great  advantage  over  matrimony. 
If  we  cannot  agree,  the  world  will  merely  nod  tri 
umphantly  with  an  '  I  told  you  so ! '  but  we  shall 
make  no  scandal.  Still,  I  never  could  understand 
why  relatives  were  expected  to  disagree,  while  two 
strangers,  who  have  only  seen  each  other  in  their 
best  clothes  and  finest  manners,  should  live  like 
turtle-doves  ever  thereafter." 

"I  do  not  believe  many  young  wives  would  be 
content  to  come  and  live  over  a  railroad-station." 

"  Yes,  they  would  be  content,  only  they  would  be 
afraid  of  what  the  world  would  say.  And  I  have 
made  up  my  mind  to  regard  it  as  a  picnic." 

"  You  are  a  jolly  girl,  Eve,"  I  said  in  admiration. 

"  And  I  can  be  serious  too.  Now  I  want  to  talk 
seriously.  Do  you  know,  I  was  very  much  inter 
ested  in  Mr.  Corwin's  reasons  for  coming  to  live 
at  Athens?  I  thought  him  especially  entertaining 
the  other  evening." 

I  remembered  it  all  after  a  moment  or  two.  Mr. 
Corwin  was  a  jeweller.  He  had  a  nice,  sensible 
wife,  and  five  children,  the  eldest  a  bright  lad  of 
thirteen.  He  had  been  speaking  of  the  irregularity 
of  employment  for  some  years  back,  and  this  had 
decided  him  to  get  a  home  somewhat  in  the  country. 


IN  A  GARDEN  41 

An  insurance  company  had  foreclosed  the  mortgage 
on  this  place,  and  offered  it  —  a  pretty  house  of  some 
eight  or  nine  rooms,  with  an  acre  of  ground  —  for 
three  thousand  dollars.  He  had  paid  half  down 
four  years  ago,  and  been  able  to  reduce  the  mort 
gage  to  eight  hundred,  besides  adding  some  improve 
ments,  and  cultivating  his  ground.  He  had  now  an 
abundance  of  fine  fruit,  not  only  for  summer  use, 
but  for  preserving  as  well, — berries,  grapes,  —  and 
space  for  most  of  the  vegetables  the  family  needed. 
He  was  quite  an  enthusiast  about  country  homes. 
"I  don't  know,"  he  had  said  on  the  evening  of 
our  talk,  "  as  employment  will  ever  be  regular  again. 
I  remember  when  one  could  hardly  get  a  two  weeks' 
vacation :  now  I  find  that  for  the  last  three  years  I 
have  averaged  two  and  a  half  months  out  of  employ 
ment.  In  the  city,  there  is  nothing  to  do  but  lounge 
around,  or  walk  the  streets.  When  you  have  a  good 
employer,  you  do  not  want  to  leave  him  because 
there  is  a  week  off  now  and  then :  indeed,  it  might 
be  no  better  in  another  place.  So  now  I  make 
my  time  useful.  Last  year  I  helped  to  paint  the 
outside  of  my  house.  I  bought  the  paint,  and  hired 
an  excellent  painter,  a  friend,  by  the  day.  I  was 
astonished  at  the  difference  in  the  cost.  I  do  odd 
jobs  around,  and  I  find  that  we  have  more  real 
comfort  at  a  less  expense." 


42  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

"But,  Eve,"  I  said,  "you  surely  do  not  think  of 
farming?" 

She  laughed  gayly. 

"  And  what  if  I  did  ?  See  here,  Adam !  there  are 
women  going  out  West,  — the  very  Far  West,  I  mean, 
— who  get  to  own  vineyards  and  orchards  and  planta 
tions  and  ranches.  Now  it  seems  to  me  there  is  a 
good  deal  of  hard  work  somewhere,  if  a  woman  has 
very  little  money.  If  one  took  the  little  money,  and 
did  the  work  here,  it  is  a  question  with  me  whether 
one  might  not  have  more  real  pleasure  staying 
with  friends,  and  amid  civilization.  I  should  like 
to  help  do  something.  I  am  not  ambitious  to  be 
clerk  or  cashier  in  a  store,  or  write  in  a  stuffy 
office,  half  the  time  by  gaslight.  What  I  want 
most  is  a  home.  Can  I  not  help  make  one  here 
as  well  as  on  the  Pacific  coast?  And  I  do  realize 
that  I  like  the  country,  but  I  do  not  want  to  be 
very  far  away  from  the  city.  If  we  could  get  a 
little  place  "  — 

"But  you  wouldn't  want  it  here  at  Athens?" 

"  I  am  not  so  sure.  I  have  studied  it  as  I  '  took 
my  walks  abroad.'  It  certainly  is  a  lovely  place  nat 
urally.  Cutting  it  up  into  streets  and  blocks  has 
spoiled  it,  but  the  trees  and  shrubs  are  growing  up 
again.  I  wish  —  do  you  remember  any  thing  of  our 
old  place,  Adam?" 


IN  A   GARDEN  43 

"It  was  very  pretty.  Father  had  a  great  love 
for  beauty  and  gardening." 

"  And  I've  inherited  the  taste,"  she  said  triumph 
antly.  "  I  wish  the  place  had  not  been  sold,  and 
it  was  too  bad  to  make  such  a  sacrifice.  But  I 
suppose  dear  mamma  thought  it  best,  and  she 
hated  the  country." 

"  And  you  want  to  buy  a  farm  ? "  I  said,  rather 
aghast. 

"  Well,  I  should  like  to,  presently.  Listen,"  — 
and  her  fair  face  is  a  study,  —  "  the  wealth  of  the 
United  States,  if  evenly  divided,  is  supposed  now 
to  give  every  person  nearly  eight  hundred  dollars 
apiece.  Now  I  propose  that  we  set  to  work  and 
earn  ours.  After  we  have  our  full  share,  we  will 
not  worry,  but  take  all  the  comfort  we  can.  But 
we  ought  to  do  our  duty  by  the  wealth  of  the 
world.  And  we  may  be  able  to  do  it  in  this  pretty 
little  place." 

"Sixteen  hundred  dollars  will  not  buy  a  farm/' 

"  Well,  if  we  can  get  that  together,  we  might  get 
some  more  presently.  I  have  over  three  hundred 
dollars,  so  have  you.  It  is  the  first  step  that  costs." 

"  But,  Eve,  you  never  could  content  yourself  to 
stay  here  for  years !  And  the  people  are  —  why,  half 
of  them  do  not  know  whether  to  accord  you  any 
social  recognition  or  not "  — 


44  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

"  Because  I  have  come  to  live  in  a  railroad-station. 
Well,  I  can  wait,"  and  she  gave  a  piquant  nod.  "  I 
told  you  I  meant  to  consider  it  a  picnic.  Don't  you 
know,  sometimes  before  the  day  is  done  you  have 
met  so  many  nice  people,  and  made  some  real  good 
friends  ?  You  will  see  by  spring." 

A  train  sounded  in  the  distance.  After  that  had 
been  attended  to,  Pryor  came  in  for  a  little  chat. 
He  was  a  bright  young  fellow,  who  kept  a  real- 
estate  and  insurance  office,  a  coal-agency,  and  did 
surveying;  also  procured  loans,  and  had  a  little 
of  his  own  that  he  kept  lending  in  small  sums.  He 
was  about  my  age,  a  well-informed  person,  shrewd 
at  bargain-making,  and  very  entertaining. 

I  kept  revolving  Eve's  plan  in  my  mind ;  but  it 
certainly  was  the  wildest  of  schemes,  and  utterly 
impracticable,  though  I  did  not  say  so.  A  pretty 
young  girl  like  Eve  would  marry,  of  course.  I 
could  not  help  remarking  that  here  she  looked  a 
very  queen.  Her  walk,  the  peculiar  pliant  grace  of 
her  figure,  the  inclination  of  her  head,  the  fit  of  her 
gloves  and  boots,  and  the  style  of  her  garments, 
bespoke  city  ways  and  familiarities.  Yet  I  had  a 
misgiving,  when  I  saw  people  eye  her,  that  these 
very  gifts  and  graces  went  against  her  in  their 
estimation. 

But  we  found  so  much  enjoyment  in  the  lovely 


Itf  A  GARDEN  45 

walks,  for  October  was  pure  Indian  summer.  Eve 
sketched  and  painted  a  little,  —  she  had  several 
accomplishments.  We  went  to  church  after  a 
Sunday  or  two ;  and  Eve  settled  herself  in  a  pretty, 
old  gray  stone  church  that  had  stood  almost  a 
century.  Next  door  was  a  vine-clad  rectory,  occu 
pied  by  one  of  the  church-wardens ;  as  the  rector 
was  a  young,  unmarried  man,  of  rather  High-Church 
proclivities,  and  a  tendency  to  asceticism.  Mother 
and  aunt  Carry  were  both  Episcopalians;  though  four 
of  the  denominations  were  represented  at  Athens. 

I  was  somewhat  amused  at  the  reception  accorded 
us.  We  were  shown  to  a  very  comfortable  seat, 
and  there  were  curious,  surreptitious  glances.  Per 
haps  Eve's  stately  walk  rather  impressed  these 
good  people  as  being  not  quite  the  thing  for  a  young 
woman  who  lived  in  two  rooms  over  a  railroad- 
station.  No  one  spoke  to  us.  I  couldn't  help 
thinking  that  it  would  have  been  kindly.  The 
Corwins  were  Methodists,  and  Mr.  Pryor  went  to 
the  old  Reformed  Church. 

"  I  wanted  so  much  to  sing,"  said  Eve.  "  There 
are  some  good  voices  in  the  choir,  but  they  incline 
more  to  volume  than  to  melody.  And  how  do  you 
like  Mr.  Bradford?" 

"  I  don't  like  him,"  I  made  answer.  "  He  is  a 
regular  stick." 


46  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

"Rather  formal  and  precise.  I  sometimes  think 
how  odd  it  is  that  so  few  make  really  good  news  of 
the  gospel." 

"  But  why  did  you  not  sing  ? " 

"  Because  I  knew  everybody  would  look  at  me  ; " 
and  she  laughed  a  little,  with  just  a  touch  of 
embarrassment. 

We  went  down  to  Northwood  one  day  to  do  a 
little  purchasing,  and  found  a  nice  library,  to  which 
I  subscribed  for  six  months,  as  we  were  both  fond  of 
reading.  We  had  quite  furbished  up  our  two  rooms, 
though  I  must  admit  they  were  not  pretty  to  furnish. 

"If  it  wasn't  for  the  bedstead!"  said  Eve.  "I 
believe  I  shall  shut  up  the  window,  after  all,  though 
it  is  the  only  large  one  in  the  room,  and  roll  the 
bedstead  clear  up.  It  will  be  more  symmetrical." 

"Why  didn't  we  get  a  lounge  or  sofa?"  I  ex 
claimed  with  sudden  regret. 

"  Oh,  dear !  if  you  had  slept  on  lounges  and  sofas 
and  every  invention  of  the  brain,  not  a  bedstead, 
you  would  know  how  good  it  seems  to  be  the 
possessor  of  one.  And  we  shall  have  no  company 
but  those  who  can  be  entertained  in  your  office." 

When  the  first  of  November  came,  along  with  the 
month's  salary,  we  felt  quite  elated,  as  we  had  nearly 
run  aground.  Still,  Eve  insisted  that  enough  was 
enough. 


IN  A  GARDEN  47 

"  Not  to  buy  a  farm,"  and  I  laughed. 

"  We  have  been  getting  a  good  many  odds  and 
ends  of  housekeeping,  and  I  was  afraid  we  would 
not  come  out  quite  as  well  as  this.  And  I  haven't 
pinched  you  very  much  in  diet,  have  I?" 

"  You  had  better  not  try  that,"  I  said  warningly. 
"I  have  a  bitter  remembrance  of  such  an  experi 
ment." 

"  When  some  one  starved  you  ?  " 

"When  I  starved  myself." 

"  Experience  meeting,"  said  Eve,  with  a  face  full 
of  dimples  and  laughter.  "  Relate." 

"I  kept  house  once." 

"  Oh  !  you  did !  " 

"I  was  trying  to  save  money.  I  wanted  to  pay 
uncle  Marvin.  I  read  in  a  paper  that  a  man  kept 
himself  splendidly  on  a  dollar  and  a  half  a  week, 
besides  the  rent  of  his  room.  I  hired  a  furnished 
room,  in  which  there  happened  to  be  a  small  cooking- 
stove,  for  six  dollars  a  month.  I  purchased  a  few 
articles,  and  started  out  bravely.  I  had  to  go  on 
duty  at  seven  in  the  morning,  and  was  off  at  seven  in 
the  evening.  I  had  to  do  my  shopping  on  my  home 
ward  journey,  and  cook  in  the  evening.  Then  I  had 
to  be  up  by  six  in  the  morning,  and  sometimes  I  ate 
on  the  fly  at  that.  The  first  week  it  seemed  fine, 
but  it  cost  me  over  three  dollars.  The  next  week  I 


48  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

economized  rigidly,  and  it  cost  me  two.  I  could  buy 
the  cheap  meats  the  man  had  written  about;  and, 
when  I  had  cooked  them  three  hours,  they  still  were 
tough.  My  bread  grew  dry,  but  then  I  liked  toast. 
My  room  had  a  wretched  smell  of  cooking ;  it  pene 
trated  the  bedclothes  and  everywhere:  and,  if  I 
opened  windows,  it  was  too  cool.  Then  I  had  to 
hurry  so.  After  a  little,  nothing  seemed  to  taste 
so  good.  I  would  take  a  morning  nap,  and  just 
snatch  a  few  mouthfuls.  The  first  month  I  found 
my  expenses  had  averaged  two  fifty  a  week,  which, 
with  the  rent  and  washing,  made  three  seVenty-five ; 
and  I  had  been  far  from  comfortable.  Still,  a  dollar 
a  week  was  worth  saving :  so  I  went  on.  One  night 
I  brought  home  a  bargain  in  a  cheap  piece  of  beef, 
and  put  it  on  to  stew.  It  did  have  a  queer  smell. 
The  next  morning  I  was  late ;  so  I  ate  some  bread, 
and  drank  a  cup  of  the  broth.  Before  I  reached  the 
office  I  was  awfully  sick.  I  did  not  go  home  for  any 
dinner.  At  night  I  made  a  cup  of  coffee,  and  ate  a 
little  bread  and  cold  beef.  It  was  tough  as  sole- 
leather,  and  had  a  disagreeable  taste.  That  night  I 
was  sick  again,  then  I  threw  my  bargain  in  beef  over 
the  fence  to  the  cats.  For  several  days  I  could 
retain  no  food  whatever,  and  one  day  I  dropped  off 
my  stool  with  an  attack  of  vertigo.  I  went  to  a 
doctor,  who  lectured  me  on  bad  habits  and  dissipa- 


IN  A  GARDEN  49 

tion.  I  wanted  to  knock  him  down,  but  I  was  too 
weak ;  so  I  told  him  the  whole  truth.  He  smiled 
kindly,  and  softened. 

" '  My  lad,'  he  said,  '  you've  been  trying  a  poor 
experiment.  You  have  almost  starved  yourself  from 
lack  of  proper  food,  illy  prepared,  and  too  hastily 
eaten  meals,  with  not  enough  variety.  No  one  ever 
makes  any  thing  by  taking  the  absolute  strength  out 
of  his  own  body.  A  man  who  is  steadily  worked 
needs  a  nourishing  diet.  The  vital  question  is  not, 
How  little  the  man  can  live  upon,  but  how  he  can 
best  do  the  work  set  before  him.  You  have  a  severe 
attack  of  dyspepsia,  and  are  very  much  reduced. 
Take  good,  wholesome  board  somewhere,  sleep  all 
you  can,  don't  worry  about  saving  money ;  and  in  a 
month  or  so,  you  will  find  yourself  a  new  man.' 

"I  had  kept  house  two  months,  and  it  had  cost  me 
in  all  about  thirty-two  dollars.  Then  I  had  to  be 
three  days  off,  which  was  six  more.  Doctor's  bill  and 
medicine  was  seven.  So  for  the  seven  weeks  it  had 
cost  me  five  dollars  a  week  besides  the  discomfort, 
the  labor  and  trouble,  and  wretched  feeling ;  while  I 
could  have  boarded  for  six.  I  never  tried  it  again." 

Eve  was  laughing  heartily. 

"I  sometimes  think,  when  I  see  this  wonderful 
wisdom  about  very  cheap  living,  if  the  writers  ever 
did  try  it.  And  in  cooking,  you  can  do  many 


50  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

economical  things  if  you  have  plenty  of  time ;  and 
if  you  save  your  time,  you  must  spend  your  money. 
A  man  or  a  woman  employed  twelve  or  thirteen 
hours  a  day  has  no  time  for  cooking." 

"Solid  truth,"  I  appended.  "And  to  keep  in 
good  health,  body  and  mind,  you  want  good  food." 

"  You  have  not  suffered  under  my  reign,"  and  Eve 
looks  me  all  over  humorously. 

"  I  can't  see  how  you  learned  so  much." 

"  I  think  I  was  born  with  a  genius  for  housekeep 
ing  :  then,  to  get  a  good  deal  out  of  a  little  money 
does  sharpen  one's  wits." 

"  It  rather  dulled  mine." 

"  But  you  did  not  get  a  good  deal,"  laughs  Eve. 

November  came  in  rainy,  then  it  cleared  up,  and 
we  had  the  true  Indian  summer. 

Eve  went  to  New  York  for  a  day,  and  I  missed  her 
dreadfully.  She  looked  prettier  than  ever  to  my 
longing  eyes  when  she  returned;  and,  oh!  what 
budgets  of  news  ! 

"Two  invitations  to  theatre  parties,  one  to  a 
luncheon,  and  an  afternoon  tea,  a  reception  really  to 
introduce  two  young  English  girls  staying  with  Mrs. 
Brooke.  I've  had  just  the  gayest  time ;  and  I  have 
asked  a  crowd  of  girls  over,  and  I  know  they  mean 
to  come." 

"  But  what  will  you  do  —  with  company  ?  " 


IN  A  GARDEN  51 

"  Well  —  I  have  been  thinking.  I  shall  get  some 
pretty  olive  and  light  blue  Canton  flannel,  and  cur 
tain  off  my  sleeping  apartment ;  and  we  must  have 
two  more  chairs." 

"And  I  haven't  been  idle,  nor  economical.  Pryor 
was  in  here,  and  wanted  to  give  me  a  season  ticket 
for  a  series  of  entertainments  at  Northwood.  Bur- 
dette  is  to  lecture,  Carleton  to  read,  and  several 
other  stars.  Six  in  all.  Season-tickets  one  dollar 
and  a  half ;  and  I  bought  two,  because  I  knew  Pryor 
was  counting  on  taking  you." 

"  You  lovely  Adam ! ''  and  Eve  threw  her  arms 
about  my  neck.  "  Defend  me  from  young  men  !  " 

"  And  Mr.  Bradford  called." 

Eve  had  joined  the  singing  in  church.  Her  voice 
was  one  of  those  clear  sopranos,  which,  soft  rather 
than  shrill,  was  of  considerable  compass  —  penetra 
tive. 

"  Oh !  what  did  he  say  ?  "  and  her  face  was  mirth 
fully  curious. 

"He  stammered  something  about  you.  Women, 
young  women,  are  a  little  outside  of  his  religion, 
which  I  think  is  of  the  Lara  or  Thebaid  type.  And 
I  said  a  few  things  "  — 

"  You  were  not  rude  ?  "  apprehensively. 

"Well  "  —and  I  reflected  a  little —  "  no,  not  rude, 
but  I  made  him  understand  that  one  might  live  over 


52  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

a  railroad-station  and  be  a  lady,  well  informed,  and 
used  to  all  the  refinements  and  proprieties  of  social 
life.  And  he  apologized  for  not  calling  sooner,  and 
said  there  were  several  of  the  church  people  who 
were  anxious  to  make  your  acquaintance." 

"Let  them  come,"  said  Eve  with  a  dainty  little 
nod ;  but  she  held  her  head  straighter  than  ever. 

The  ordinary  range  of  the  Athenians  was  not  very 
extensive,  I  found.  The  old  settlers  were  the  usual 
type,  country  people,  with  plenty  of  pedigree,  and 
names  that  elsewhere  carried  weight;  but  these 
degenerate  scions  had  dropped  into  unambitious 
grooves,  content  to  eat,  drink,  and  sleep,  and  let  the 
world  go  by.  We  prate  of  contentment,  and  yet  we 
secretly  despise  it  as  being  a  virtue  practically  more 
honored  in  the  breach  than  the  observance.  Some 
had  sold  farms,  and  seen  them  cut  up  into  building- 
plots,  and  continually  regretted  it :  others  as  perse- 
veringly  bewailed  their  blindness  in  not  selling  when 
they  might  have  done  so.  They  all  seemed  to  think* 
there  was  a  fortune  in  the  land  still.  People  from 
the  adjacent  cities  must  come,  there  would  not  be 
room  enough  for  them  ;  but  I  had  learned,  whether 
wisely  or  not,  that  cities  could  be  crowded  to  reple 
tion,  because  the  business  was  there,  and  it  was  not 
in  the  country.  Property  was  high  enough  for  a 
prosperous  city,  but  no  one  ever  sold.  A  few  traded; 


I1ST  A  GARDEN  53 

now  and  then  a  mortgage  was  foreclosed;  or  some 
speculator,  discouraged,  closed  out  his  investments 
cheap.  "  There  was  no  public  spirit,"  groaned  every 
body  ;  but  there  was  no  private  spirit  either.  They 
were  waiting  for  a  miracle  to  come  along,  and  trans 
form  them  into  prosperity.  It  certainly  must  have 
been  Sleepy  Hollow  before  the  railroad  was  built. 

"  People  are  so  queer  !  "  said  Pryor  one  day  as  we 
were  tramping  over  the  hills,  that  glowed  with  a 
dusky  red  sunset.  "If  you  get  a  chance  to  make 
a  bargain,  the  owner  claps  on  five  hundred  more,  and 
the  thing  falls  through.  There  are  a  number  of 
places  standing  empty,  that  are  a  bill  of  expense, 
and  falling  into  decay :  others  do  not  pay  two  per 
cent  on  their  fancied  value.  The  ridiculousness  of 
asking  eight  or  ten  thousand  dollars  for  a  place,  and 
getting  two  hundred  dollars  rent  for  it !  Now,  there 
is  a  house  over  yonder,  that  greenish  one  with  a 
tower.  It  has  all  the  modern  improvements,  and 
a  tank  that  freezes  up  every  winter,  and  deluges  the 
house.  Some  New- York  parties  foreclosed  a  mort 
gage  of  seven  thousand  dollars  five  years  ago.  I 
could  have  sold  it  the  year  after  for  six  thousand 
cash,  but  they  wouldn't  look  at  that.  Two  years  it 
has  not  been  tenanted :  once  they  put  it  in  good 
repair,  and  the  tenant  staid  six  months.  Now  it  is 
rented  for  eighteen  dollars  a  month,  and  the  tenant 


54  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

gets  all  out  of  it  he  can.  The  fences  I  suspect  he 
uses  for  firewood,  also  some  of  the  trees.  My  opin 
ion  is,  that  the  interest  of  six  thousand  dollars  would 
be  of  more  account  to  them,  for  in  a  few  years  the 
house  will  be  half  ruined.  Now  [pausing  as  we 
came  down  the  hill],  here  is  a  place  that  I  think  will 
go  cheap  some  day." 

It  was  two  streets  above  the  railroad.  Avenues 
most  of  the  streets  running  north  and  south  were 
called,  and  this  was  Oak  Avenue.  It  stood  on  the 
corner ;  and  on  Jay  Street,  a  hedge  of  Norway  spruce 
almost  shut  it  from  sight ;  while  at  the  back,  there 
was  a  grove  of  chestnut-trees.  There  was  a  pictu 
resque  house,  a  small  barn,  and  dilapidated  hennery, 
and  an  acre  or  so  of  ground.  On  Oak  Avenue, 
where  the  house  fronted,  the  prospect  was  lovely ; 
for  the  slope  went  down  to  the  river,  broken  by  the 
intervening  streets.  The  bank  on  the  other  side  was 
high  again.  You  had  Athens  at  your  feet,  though 
nearly  all  of  the  town  lay  below  Jay  Street;  and 
at  its  southern  end,  there  was  another  station, 
which  went  by  the  name  of  the  little  place  below, 
Rutherford. 

"I  have  been  up  here  several  times,"  I  said. 
Indeed,  this  was  a  favorite  ramble  with  Eve  as  well. 
"I  have  wondered  about  this  house — can  it  be 
rented  ?  " 


IN  A  GARDEN  55 

"  Well,  I  am  not  sure.  The  last  tenant  used  it 
dreadfully,  and  then  went  off  owing  three  months' 
rent.  It  is  for  sale." 

"  Of  course,"  I  said  in  an  amused  tone. 

"  And  it  will  be  a  bargain  for  some  one.  Come, 
Thurston,  buy  it  yourself." 

"  Pray  for  some  one  to  leave  me  a  fortune.  But  I 
might  rent  it  in  the  spring, — if  the  rent  was  not  too 
high." 

"  The  owner  is  bound  to  sell  it  now.  It  has  quite 
a  romantic  history.  The  man  who  built  it  some 
twelve  years  ago  was  a  Mr.  Cassel.  He  was  an 
engraver,  and  something  of  an  artist.  The  Mont 
gomery  farm  had  just  been  cut  up,  and  the  station 
opened;  and  people  supposed  it  would  soon  be  a 
great  place.  A  few  years  afterward  his  wife  was 
killed  by  being  thrown  out  of  a  friend's  carriage. 
Then  he  shut  up  the  house,  and  went  away  for  two 
years,  when  he  came  back  with  a  new  wife,  a  gay 
young  widow.  But  the  place  was  too  lonely  for  her, 
and  she  spent  a  good  deal  of  her  time  in  New  York. 
Gossip  said  they  were  very  unhappy ;  and  he  grew 
rather  queer,  became  partially  deranged,  and  killed 
himself  at  a  hotel  in  New  York.  Every  thing  had 
been  left  to  her.  She  offered  the  place  for  sale  for 
six  thousand,  then  five  and  four,  and  two  weeks  ago 
told  me  to  report  any  offer  to  her.  It  is  a  good  deal 


56  A  MODERN"  ADAM  AND  EVE 

out  of  repair,  but  is  well  built.  That  north  side  is 
filled  in  with  brick.  And  there  were  loads  of  lovely 
fruit  and  berries,  but  boys  and  tramps  do  so  destroy 
things !  I'll  bring  the  key  up  sometime,  and  we  will 
take  a  turn  through  it." 

We  entered  the  dilapidated  gate.  It  was  over 
grown  with  weeds  and  briers.  The  barn  was  in  the 
rear  of  the  house:  all  the  rest  was,  or  had  been,  a 
garden-plot.  Trees  were  in  sad  need  of  pruning :  the 
grape-arbor  had  tumbled  down  at  one  corner,  or  per 
haps  been  broken.  The  house  was  two  full  stories 
with  a  steep  Gothic  roof,  which  gave  some  rooms  up 
stairs.  Across  the  front,  which  was  to  the  east,  ran 
a  wide  porch,  where  honeysuckle  rioted.  On  the 
southern  side  a  two-story  bay-window,  and  another 
small  porch. 

"  I  wouldn't  mind  undertaking  some  repairs,  if  I 
could  rent  it  cheaply  enough,"  I  said. 

"  Mrs.  Cassel  is  bound  to  sell.  I  think  she  would 
make  an  easy  bargain." 

"My  dear  fellow,  forty-five  dollars  a  month  will 
not  buy  many  houses,  besides  taking  care  of  two 
persons ; "  and  I  sighed. 

"  I  wish  I  could  sell  it,"  and  Pryor  sighed  as  well. 

We  walked  out  reluctantly.  I  wondered  if,  in  the 
whole  course  of  my  life,  I  should  save  up  three  or 
four  thousand  dollars.  What  art  was  there,  that 


IN  A  GARDEN  57 

could  get  a  good  deal  out  of  a  very  little  ?  If  one 
could  stop  eating  —  if  clothes  would  never  wear  out. 
We  might  go  without  books,  newspapers,  evening- 
lamps  —  alas !  what  would  life  be  worth  with  mental 
pleasures  taken  out  of  it. 

Two   lugubrious  fellows  meandered  down  to  the 
station. 


58  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 


CHAPTER  IV 

TEMPTATION  NO.   I 

EVE  went  down  to  her  theatre  party,  and  staid  all 
night.  The  next  evening  but  one,  the  series  of  the 
Clayonian  Club  commenced  with  Burbank ;  and  we 
found  it  quite  delightful.  Then  Sadie  and  Bertha 
Brooke  came  over,  and  we  had  the  gayest  kind  of  a 
lunch.  The  curtain  had  been  put  up,  and  our 
dining-room  looked  really  tasteful.  The  girls  took  it 
as  an  immense  joke.  Then  the  oddest  incident 
occurred  as  they  were  waiting  for  the  train  to  return. 
Mr.  Bradford  came  in  for  a  ticket,  stared  around  in 
his  near-sighted  way,  and  Sadie,  the  irrepressible, 
gave  a  little  shriek  that  was  half  a  giggle. 

"  O  Mr.  Bradford  !  "  she  cried.  "  So  we  meet 
again  at  Athens  instead  of  Philippi !  Classic  shades ! 
Of  course  you  know  my  friend,  Miss  Thurston  ?  " 

"  I  have  heard  her  sing  in  church,  and  have  met 
her  brother." 

"Oh!  your  church  is  here,  isn't  it?  I  had  a 
vague  fancy  it  was  somewhere  at  Western  New 
York." 


IN  A   GARDEN  59 

"  Train ! "  I  exclaimed,  and  helped  Bertha  in, 
while  Mr.  Bradford  took  charge  of  Sadie. 

Eve's  face  was  one  gleam  of  amusement. 

"  Wherever  could  he  have  met  Sadie  Brooke  !  "  she 
cried.  "  The  greatest  flirt  I  ever  knew,  only  there 
is  not  a  bit  of  sentiment  in  any  of  it.  I  hope  - —  no,  I 
will  not  be  unchristian." 

"  You  ridiculous  girl !  Mr.  Bradford  is  leagues 
and  leagues  above  such  pastime." 

"  But  Sadie  flirts  with  the  soberest  people.  All  is 
fish  that  comes  to  her  net.  It  would  be  amusing  to 
see  him  caught." 

Oddly  enough,  a  week  later  we  had  quite  an 
influx  of  calls  from  the  Athenians.  I  gave  up  my 
office  to  Eve.  She  had  added  some  womanly  touches, 
and  we  had  flowers  blooming  in  the  window.  I  felt 
proud  of  my  fair  sister,  who  was  a  lady  anywhere. 

Indeed,  now  we  seemed  to  have  a  social  status. 
We  were  asked  to  join  a  young  people's  guild ;  and  I 
took  two  seats  in  a  partly  rented  pew  at  church, 
so  that  we  might  feel  at  home. 

The  month  passed  rapidly,  and  at  its  close  Eve 
looked  over  the  accounts. 

"  We  have  been  extravagant  in  the  way  of  pleas 
ures,"  she  declared.  "  Three  dollars  for  club-tickets, 
two  dollars  for  a  library-ticket,  and  three  dollars  in 
going  to  and  fro." 


60  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

"  But  we  shall  have  books  five  months  longer,  and 
there  are  three  more  entertainments." 

"And  Christmas  will  come  next  month.  Well, 
we  have  not  spent  quite  all  our  money." 

"  But  we  need  a  little  pleasure." 

"  And  the  eight  hundred  dollars  "  — 

"  Bother  that !  "  I  interrupted. 

"Getting  and  saving  is  likely  to  be  bother 
enough." 

But  after  a  walk  the  next  morning,  Eve  came  in 
radiant. 

• 

"  What  do  you  think  ?  "  she  began  breathlessly. 
"  I  have  three  music-scholars,  and  one  in  painting. 
Forty  dollars  a  quarter !  " 

"Eve!" 

"Well,  it  is  just  nothing  at  all.  Mrs.  Morrison 
was  very  much  taken  with  my  playing  the  other 
evening  at  the  Whartons's,  and  I  said  I  wished  I 
could  find  some  music-scholars,  when  she  offered  me 
her  two  little  girls.  Annie  plays  quite  well  already. 
Then  she  said  she  had  seen  those  pretty  birthday 
favors  at  the  Corwins's,  and  asked  if  I  ever  gave 
lessons  in  painting;  and  I  answered  that  I  would 
readily.  She  wants  a  quarter's  lessons.  Mrs.  Clark 
happened  in  just  then;  and  as  she  was  dissatisfied 
with  her  daughter's  teacher,  and  had  given  her  up, 
she  engaged  me.  Think  of  it !  Some  money  all  my 


1ST  A  GARDEN  61 

own !  And  that  it  should  come  to  me  without  any 
trouble  !  I  do  wish  tfiere  was  room  for  my  piano." 

That  was  at  Long  Branch.  Aunt  Carry  had 
written  Eve  two  quite  lengthy  letters,  and  in  the 
second  sent  the  invitation  for  the  month  of  February. 
Helen  was  having  a  splendid  time,  and  no  end  of  ad 
mirers.  But  Eve  decided  not  to  go  to  Washington. 

"You  see,  I  can  be  quite  gorgeously  apparelled 
here,"  she  said  laughingly;  "  and  my  vanity  prompts 
me  to  stay  where  I  can  make  the  most  show.  What 
would  my  old  gowns  be  there  ?  " 

Eve  certainly  was  very  happy.  Young  people 
began  to  throng  around  her,  and  invitations  were 
showered  upon  us.  We  had  four  for  a  Christinas 
dinner,  and  three  for  a  party  in  the  evening.  Then 
there  were  Christmas  greens  and  a  children's  treat. 
Mr.  Bradford  paid  her  some  especial  notice,  and 
begged  her  to  take  part  in  the  carols. 

"  It  is  so  different  from  last  winter,  with  teas  and 
germans,  and  receptions  and  crushes,  and  racking 
your  brains  about  gowns !  But  I  enjoy  the  change, 
and  it  isn't  half  such  hard  work." 

We  did  have  a  very  pleasant  time,  and  then  Eve 
went  to  New  York  for  a  week.  Sadie  Brooke'  came 
over  for  her,  and  the  days  were  crowded  full  of 
enjoyment;  though  she  returned  home  looking  rather 
fagged  out. 


62  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

"  I  do  not  mean  to  go  out  of  an  evening  for  the 
next  two  weeks,"  she  declared.  "  We  will  turn  over 
a  new  leaf.  Why,  I  am  ever  so  much  more  dissipated 
in  this  benighted  little  Athens  than  I  was  at  Great 
Mammoth  Beach." 

We  both  laughed  at  that. 

There  was  a  week  of  wintry  weather  with  snow 
and  rain  and  sleet.  Business  was  dull.  But,  oh! 
how  cosey  and  snug  we  were  in  our  odd  little 
home ! 

I  was  reading  aloud  one  evening  from  "My 
Summer  in  a  Garden."  Eve  had  been  sewing ;  but 
presently  she  dropped  her  work,  and  her  eyes 
wandered  into  vacancy.  I  paused,  but  she  did  not 
appear  to  remark  it. 

"  Eve !  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  Oh ! "  with  a  long  sigh  and  a  dreamy  kind  of 
smile  as  she  roused  from  her  revery.  "I  was  not 
asleep." 

"  What  were  you  thinking  of  so  intently  ?  " 

"  I  had  a  vision." 

• 

"  A  vision  !  "  I  repeated,  startled. 

"  Yes.  I  saw  us  both  in  a  garden.  Adam,  let  us 
stay  here  at  Athens.  It  will  be  so  lovely  in  the 
spring,  and  all  through  the  summer.  And  if  you  do 
not  earn  so  much,  I  can  make  a  little.  Let  us  have 
the  garden  and  fruit,  and  flowers  and  poultry.  Some 


IN  A  GAKDEN  63 

people  make  money  at  that.  And  if  one  could  have 
a  permanent  home  "  — 

Some  one  came  in  the  waiting-room,  stamping  the 
snow  off  his  boots. 

"  Hillo  !  "  cried  a  cheery  voice.  "  You  two  people 
are  the  picture  of  content." 

"  We  are  content,"  answered  Eve.  "  Could  there 
be  a  more  cosey  interior  ?  "  and  she  glanced  around 
in  triumph. 

I  knew  very  well  that  Pryor  thought  it  would 
be  hard  to  find  a  prettier  girl.  For  Eve's  eyes 
were  so  softly  bright,  and  her  cheeks  a  dainty  peach- 
pink. 

"  Yet  you  were  wishing  for  something  else." 

"  Are  you  quite  sure  it  wasn't  some  one  else  —  the 
lad  you  left  behind  you  in  New  York  ?  " 

"  There  were  so  many  of  them  !  "  said  Eve  with  a 
graceful  little  shrug.  "  And  now  they  are  dancing 
with  other  girls,  so  why  should  I  bewail  them  ?  In 
sober  truth," — and  a  serious  expression  crossed  her 
face,  —  "I  was  going  back  to  what  my  brother  terms 
first  principles." 

Pryor  looked  puzzled,  and  glanced  from  one  to  the 
other. 

"  It  is  not  lovers  or  husbands,  though  the  world 
insists  that  is  a  woman's  greatest  and  most  absorbing 
subject  of  contemplation.  Adam  and  I  have  formed 


64  A  MODEKN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

a  league  of  amity  and  good-fellowship,  and  we  want 
to  go  back  to  the  garden." 

He  laughed  doubtfully  as  if  he  did  not  quite  see 
the  point.  Then  he  said,  "Do  you  want  a  real 
garden,  or  is  it  some  figurative  "  — 

"  German,  with  favors.  No :  what  I  mean  is  real 
solid  earth,  that  will  raise  berries,  chickens,  and 
flowers." 

"  There,  Thurston ! "  Pryor  exclaimed  triumph 
antly,  "you  can't  do  better  than  take  the  Cassel 
place.  I  had  a  letter  from  the  owner  to-day.  She 
offers  it  for  thirty-five  hundred.  I  am  almost  certain 
three  thousand  will  take  it." 

"  My  dear  fellow,"  I  replied,  annoyed  at  his  perti 
nacity,  "  I  am  in  the  position  of  the  man,  who,  when 
corner-lots  were  selling  at  a  dollar  apiece,  couldn't 
buy  half  a  one." 

"  And  she  will  take  five  hundred  dollars  down,  with 
good  security  for  the  rest." 

"  That  pretty  place  on  the  hill  ?  "  asked  Eve.  "  I 
have  looked  at  that  with  a  longing  eye,  and  the  eye 
of  faith  also.  It  has  possibilities." 

"  It  is  a  bargain.  She  might  throw  off  enough  to 
put  the  place  in  order." 

"We  all  looked  at  each  other  like  guilty  conspirators, 
until  the  silence  was  positively  ridiculous.  Then  Eve 
drew  a  long  breath,  and  laughed  in  a  ringing  fashion. 


IN  A  GARDEN  65 

"  Little  does  Mrs.  Cassel  know  of  the  deep  plots 
against  her  interest,"  said  I. 

"  See  here,"  began  Pryor :  "  suppose  she  had  sold 
it  five  years  ago  for  three  thousand,  and  put  the 
money  out  at  six  per  cent.  Reckon  it  up  at  simple 
interest  —  nine  hundred  dollars,  where  it's  safe  to  say 
it  hasn't  paid  her  a  penny.  Why,  it  would  be  to  her 
best  interest  to  dispose  of  it  as  speedily  as  possible. 
My  advice  is,  when  a  thing  doesn't  pay,  and  isn't 
likely  to  pay,  get  rid  of  it  as  soon  as  you  can." 

"  I  should  like  to  go  through  the  house,"  said  Eve 
quietly. 

"  The  first  decent  day  we  will,"  replied  Pryor. 

He  talked  on  about  places.  The  last  train  came, 
and  I  began  to  prepare  for  the  night.  A  fine  sleet 
had  set  in ;  but  the  young  man  pulled  up  his  coat- 
collar,  and  lighted  his  lantern. 

"  Pryor  is  the  most  persistent  fellow  I  ever  saw," 
I  said  impatiently.  "Heaven  help  the  woman  he 
sets  out  to  gain  if  she  doesn't  want  him  ! " 

Eve  began  to  fold  up  her  work.  I  had  a  misgiving 
that  the  serpent  had  entered  Paradise. 

I  dreamed  that  night  of  processions  of  chickens, 
and  long  rows  of  berry-pickers,  while  crates  were 
piled  mountain  high. 

It  stormed  furiously  again  the  next  day,  but  just  at 
sundown  the  air  grew  wonderfully  mild.  I  shovelled 


66  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

away  the  snow.  Mr.  Bradford  came  up  on  the  train, 
and  stopped  in  the  office  to  chat  with  Eve,  —  a  small 
matter  that  amazed  me. 

We  read  again  in  the  evening,  then  we  talked  farm 
and  garden. 

"You  have  given  the  subject  a  good  deal  of 
thought,  Eve,"  I  said  presently. 

"  Yes.  Now  and  then  I  have  felt  like  proposing  to 
you  that  we  should  go  West,  and  pre-empt  a  tract  of 
land ;  but  I  should  not  like  the  grand  and  awful  lone 
liness.  I  am  social,  and  fond  of  my  kind,  even  if  they 
do  flirt  and  tell  fibs  occasionally.  And  it  puzzles 
me  to  know  how  you  live  the  first  year  while  your 
crops  are  growing,  and  you  haven't  any  money. 
Now,  if  one  can  keep  a  situation,  and  be  getting  a 
place  in  order ;  if  one  can  save  up  a  little  money  to 
pay  on  it  all  the  time,  —  there  will  come  a  year  when 
you  have  your  own  home." 

"  But  we  couldn't  buy  any  thing  with  six  hundred 
dollars.  And  it  might  not  be  wisdom  to  put  our 
little  money  where  we  could  not  get  it  in  case  of 
sickness  or  trouble.  And  if  any  thing  happened  to 
us  that  we  could  not  meet  payments,  away  would  go 
every  thing  under  foreclosure." 

"  There  wouldn't  even  a  tiny  lion's  whelp  in  the 
way  miss  your  apprehensive  eyes,"  said  Eve  laugh- 
ingty.  "  I  have  been  used  to  seeing  ventures.  Oddly 


IN  A   GARDEN  67 

enough,  while  I  was  dancing  and  junketing  around 
in  New  York,  I  was  studying  up  some  of  these  sub 
jects.  Mrs.  Stannard,  Mrs.  Brooke's  sister,  who  is  a 
rather  imaginary  invalid,  I  think,  has  three  dozen 
fresh-laid  eggs  brought  in  to  her  every  week,  for 
which  she  pays  fifty  cents  a  dozen,  from  the  first  of 
December  until  the  first  of  April.  There  are  plenty 
of  others  —  I  heard  of  one  lady  giving  sixty  cents  for 
white  Leghorn  eggs.  And  as  for  flowers  —  well,  I 
never  realized  before  how  much  money  was  spent  in 
flowers." 

"  But  for  flowers,  you  must  have  a  greenhouse ; 
and  no  person  on  a  small  scale  can  compete  with  the 
larger  gardeners,  who  have  every  appliance.  And  if 
your  hens  laid  abundantly  in  winter,  so  would  others, 
and  down  would  go  prices." 

"  At  all  events,  I  would  like  to  try,  in  a  home  of 
my  own  where  I  could  have  matters  as  I  desired.  I 
wonder  these  stupid  Athenians  do  not  start  up  and 
do  something  with  their  land." 

"  There  is  another  thing,  Eve,"  I  said  gravely:  "just 
as  you  were  settled  in  this  paradise  of  flowers  and 
hens,  there  might  come  a  tempting  offer  of  matri 
mony.  You  are  too  young  and  quite  too  charming 
to  remain  a  wall-flower.  Even  here  " — 

"  Yes,  there  is  Gordon  Pryor  devoted  to  your  inter 
ests,  I  observe,  and  Dan  Montgomery  and  two  or 


68  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

three  others ;  but  I  am  afraid  the  flowers  and  hens 
that  you  mention  so  disdainfully  would  be  potent 
rivals.  Indeed,  you  might  want  to  marry;  but  it 
seems  to  me,  that,  if  we  both  had  money  in  one  house, 
we  might  settle  it  amicably." 

"  My  dear  Eve  "  — 

She  clasped  her  arms  about  my  neck. 

"  You  are  not  going  to  get  rid  of  me  so  easily,"  she 
said,  with  something  that  sounded  like  a  sob.  "  And 
I  am  going  to  help  you  make  your  eight  hundred 
dollars,  —  for  that  will  be  our  share  at  the  next 
census,  —  whether  you  will  or  not." 

There  followed  a  week  of  rather  cold  but  beautiful 
weather.  Sleigh-riding  was  perfect,  and  not  a  day 
but  some  one  came  for  Eve.  Pryor  was  away  four 
days  on  business,  and  the  house  had  a  rest. 

So  it  was  almost  the  last  of  January  before  we  took 
our  peep  at  it,  cast  a  wistful  eye  where  we  had  no 
possessions.  It  was  a  bright,  sunny  day,  though 
roads  and  streets  were  still  white  with  snow. 

There  was,  as  I  have  said,  a  porch  in  front,  but  it 
ran  only  half  across.  The  southern  end  jutted  out 
about  six  feet,  and  there  was  a  large  double  window 
that  opened  on  a  balcony.  Pryor  unlocked  the 
creaking  door,  and  ushered  us  into  a  room,  a  sort  of 
reception-room  and  hall.  It  was  large ;  and  quite  at 
the  end,  the  stairs  went  up  with  two  turns,  but  were 


IN  A  GARDEN  69 

broad  and  easy.  There  were  two  windows  on  the 
north  side,  that  overlooked  Jay  Street ;  and  opposite 
a  chimney  with  a  grate  set.  A  door  opened  on  each 
side  of  this,  the  nearest  into  a  pretty  parlor.  Here 
the  chimney  was  across  the  corner  of  the  room,  with 
a  quaint  hard-wood  mantel.  On  the  south  side  this 
had  two  windows.  Back  of  this,  and  opening  on  the 
hall  as  well,  was  the  dining-room,  with  a  square  bay- 
window  at  the  south,  and  just  such  a  corner  mantel 
as  in  the  parlor.  Indeed,  one  stack  of  chimneys  did 
duty  for  the  three  places.  Back  of  this  room  was  a 
wash-room  and  a  kitchen,  and  another  chimney  that 
answered  for  both.  From  the  kitchen  a  back-stairs 
started  up,  and  we  followed  these.  There  was  only 
a  little  sort  of  loft  over  the  kitchen,  but  in  the  main 
house  four  sleeping-rooms;  the  hall  being  divided  in 
two,  not  so  large  as  the  others,  but  nicely  furnished 
with  closets.  Up  in  the  attic  were  three  gable-ends, 
in  one  of  which  there  was  a  very  fair  servant's  room. 

The  paint  and  the  walls  were  something  dreadful. 
There  had  been  some  papering  and  some  very 
wretched  kalsomining.  Several  panes  of  glass  were 
out,  and  sash-cords  were  broken.  It  had  a  forlorn  and 
dilapidated  air ;  but,  as  Eve  observed,  it  had  possibili 
ties.  The  ceilings  were  moderately  high,  the  doors 
and  wood-work  were  good  in  spite  of  shabbiness. 

We  retraced  our  steps,  and  investigated  the  cellar. 


70  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

It  was  under  the  main  house,  and  had  been  very  nice 
in  its  day  of  good  order.  There  was  a  large  closet, 
but  the  door  had  been  carried  away.  The  coal-bins 
had  been  partly  torn  down.  There  was  an  ash-shaft 
in  the  foundation  of  the  chimney.  When  we  went 
up  again,  we  investigated.  It  connected  with  the 
grate ;  and  in  the  dining-room  was  set  an  odd  sort  of 
thing,  a  kind  of  fireplace  heater,  but  different  from 
any  I  had  ever  seen,  more  nearly  resembling  a  fur 
nace  in  fact.  There  was  a  register  through  in  the 
parlor,  and  three  in  rooms  up-stairs. 

"If  it  heats  at  all,"  said  Eve,  "it  must  be 
excellent." 

On  examination,  I  did  not  see  why  it  should  not 
heat ;  as  it  was  extremely  simple,  and  its  manner  of 
disposing  of  the  ashes  was  commendable. 

We  had  kept  up  a  running  fire  of  comment,  fault 
finding,  depreciation,  and  approval.  It  was  oddly 

planned,  yet  convenient  enough,  with  no  waste  room, 

\ 
no  great  useless  halls. 

One  small  bedroom  up-stairs  had  no  mode  of  egress 
save  through  another,  but  that  might  not  be  much 
detriment. 

Then  we  went  out  to  the  barn.  That  was  not 
large ;  but  it  had  a  nice  loft,  and  on  this  sunny  day 
was  positively  warm.  The  hen-house  would  have  to 
be  made  over  altogether.  It  would  take  a  good  deal 


IN  A  GAKDEN  71 

of  time  and  labor,  and  not  a  little  money,  to  get  it  in 
good  order. 

It  was  nearing  train-time,  and  we  had  to  return. 
"I'll  drop  in  this  evening,"  said  Piyor.  "Miss 
Thurston,  it  is  an  excellent  chance." 

We  discussed  it  pro  and  con.  I  said  the  house 
was  larger  than  our  needs,  and  that  a  smaller  place 
would  cost  less.  I  had  come  to  have  a  horror  of 
indebtedness. 

"  A  house  is  not  quite  like  any  thing  else,"  per 
sisted  Eve. 

"But  the  interest  on  three  thousand  dollars, 
repairs,  and  taxes,"  I  suggested. 

"  I  could  earn  all  that,  I  am  sure,"  said  she. 

"  But  you  must  have  clothes  and  journeys  "  — 

"  Aunt  Carry's  trunkful  is  not  exhausted  yet," 
with  a  bright  smile.  "  I  shall  have  another  music- 
scholar  ;  and  when  spring  opens,  I  shall  try  to  get  a 
class  in  flower-painting." 

She  had  set  her  heart,  on  having  a  house  and 
garden,  I  could  plainly  see. 

"  After  all,  suppose  we  do  give  up  a  good  many 
things  for  the  next  five  years  —  we  can  imagine  our 
selves  out  on  the  ranch ;  and  when  we  have  almost 
expired  from  sheer  loneliness,  we  can  go  into  New 
York." 

"But  I  might  do  better  than  forty-five  dollars  a 


72  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

month  somewhere  else.     And  this  is  a  queer  dead- 
and-alive  little  place." 

A  fourth  person  might  have  supposed  us  in  some 
heated  argument  that  evening.  I  am  not  sure  but 
we  were.  And  it  ended  by  Eve  having  the  face  to 
make  an  offer  of  three  thousand  dollars  for  the 
house. 

"  Of  course,  she  will  not  take  that,"  said  my  young 
bargain-maker  serenely.  "  But  she  may  come  down 
a  little,  and  we  can  go  up  a  little.  And  perhaps  a 
month  hence  we  may  strike  a  bargain.  And,  Mr. 
Pryor,  we  shall  depend  upon  you  to  study  our  best 
interest,  and  to  warn  and  counsel  if  any  adversary 
should  be  lurking  around." 

With  that,  Eve  raises  her  eyes  in  that  half  entreat 
ing,  wholly  bewitching  manner,  and  I  can  almost 
guess  how  the  young  fellow's  heart  thumps  against 
his  ribs. 

"You  would  make  a  splendid  real-estate  agent, 
Miss  Thurston,"  he  says  admiringly. 

"  Would  I  ?  "  She  straightens  up,  and  the  small 
face  takes  on  a  certain  shade  of  haughtiness.  "Well, 
I  hate  haggling,  and  cheapening  and  depreciating 
other  people's  belongings.  If  I  were  rich,  —  even 
moderately  wealthy,  —  I  never  would  have  a  word 
over  any  thing.  If  I  wanted  it,  I  would  pay  a  fair 
price  for  it :  if  any  one's  charges  were  unreasonable, 


IN  A  GARDEN  73 

I  would  walk  away  without  a  word.  And  I  hate 
business,  because  there  is  so  much  discussion  over 
bargains." 

"  Then  you  would  not  be  so  good,"  and  he  gives  a 
little  constrained  laugh.  "  Why,  I  have  known  men 
who  waited  a  year  over  a  bargain  for  the  sake  of  fifty 
or  a  hundred  dollars." 

"I  am  devoutly  thankful  that  stores  have  one 
settled  price,"  appends  Eve.  "  I  am  ashamed  of  a 
woman  who  beats  down." 

"  Eve,"  I  said  later  on,  "  do  you  really  think  it 
wisdom  to  undertake  such  a  wild  scheme?  We 
never  can  pay  for  the  house,  never  !  " 

"  Adam,"  she  answers  with  a  seraphic  smile,  "  we 
will  take  up  our  common  every-day  lives  for  a  few 
weeks,  and  not  even  dream  of  a  return  to  Paradise. 
We  may  never  go.  But  I  wanted  to  see  how  it  would 
seem  just  to  talk  about  having  a  home  of  one's  very 
own." 

I  dare  say  we  both  dreamed  of  it,  but  she  kept  her 
word  rigidly.  She  would  not  even  let  Mr.  Pryor 
discuss  it ;  and  when  the  word  came  that  Mrs.  Cassel 
could  not  for  an  instant  entertain  such  an  offer,  I 
know  I  allowed  myself  to  think  of  what  I  could  do 
with  the  place,  and  the  delight  it  would  be.  Is  there 
some  deep  and  secret  charm  in  owning  a  bit  of  ground 
and  the  roof  that  shelters  you?  I  even  tolerated 


74  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

Eve's  hens  when  they  scratched  up  my  garden,  and 
called  myself  all  manner  of  names  because  I  had  not 
saved  up  more  money. 

February  crept  along.  One  day  Mr.  Pryor  came 
up  to  the  station  with  a  very  stylish  black-eyed 
woman  dressed  like  a  princess.  Some  odd  prescience 
told  me  it  was  Mrs.  Cassel.  I  was  so  glad  that  Eve 
happened  to  be  in ! 

There  was  a  rather  funny,  wary  sort  of  a  discus 
sion.  Mrs:  Cassel  finally  offered  to  split  the  five 
hundred.  That  was  the  best  she  could  do.  Eve  was 
gentle  and  polite,  listened  with  the  utmost  affability 
to  a  detailed  account  of  all  the  place  had  cost,  and 
then  very  sweetly  suggested  that  it  was  going  to  cost 
a  great  deal  more  for  repairs,  —  that  a  new  owner 
could  not  be  expected  to  pay  for  what  was  not  there. 
No  agreement  was  reached;  and  Mrs.  Cassel  went 
away  rather  vexed,  I  thought.  She  and  Mr.  Pryor 
walked  up  to  look  at  the  house. 

Meanwhile  we  visited  several  other  places.  Indeed, 
half  of  Athens,  it  seemed  to  me,  came  in  and  offered 
us  houses,  and  paid  us  a  curious  deference.  I  could 
see  that  we  had  gone  up  several  degrees  in  the  social 
scale.  But  in  whatever  direction  we  went,  our  long 
ing  feet  led  us  thitherward.  We  viewed  the  place 
from  every  side.  We  were  both  curiously  drawn 
to  it. 


IN  A  GARDEN  75 


CHAPTER  V 

EVE  AT   BARGAIN-MAKING 

ONE  morning  early  in  March,  Eve  went  down  to 
the  city.  The  "girls,"  as  she  called  her  bevy  of 
young  friends,  kept  her  in  warm  remembrance,  and 
thought  it  rare  fun  to  come  over  for  an  hour  or  two. 
Sadie  Brooke  had  spent  one  night,  and  confessed 
herself  in  no  end  of  trouble  with  two  lovers. 

"  I'd  like  to  come  over  here  and  stay  a  month,"' 
she  declared,  "  and  in  that  time  both  of  them  would 
forget  me." 

I  supposed  Eve's  day  would  be  mostly  devoted  to 
them.  She  came  home  with  a  radiant  face. 

"  You  dear  old  Adam  !  "  and  she  kissed  me  fondly. 
"Have  you  missed  me  to-day  and  been  lonesome? 
For  sentiment's  sake,  say  '  Yes/  '' 

"  For  truth's  sake,  my  dear  girl." 

I  held  her  in  my  arms  a  moment.  I  was  coming  to 
have  a  strange,  conscience-smitten  feeling  about  Eve, 
as  if  there  was  some  man  in  the  world  that  I  was 
defrauding  of  this  sweetness  and  tender  love. 

She  busied  herself  about  our  meal.     There  were 


76  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

cold  chicken,  and  potatoes  to  fry,  and  a  dainty  pud 
ding.  She  was  detailing  odds  and  ends  of  her  day's 
enjoyment. 

"  You  had  some  luncheon  ?  "  I  asked  suddenly. 

"Oh,  yes!  Do  you  remember  Mrs.  Harwood, 
Adam?  Well,  I  went  directly  there,  and  staid 
unconscionably." 

"And  she  asked  you  if  we  had  quarrelled,  or 
whether  I  had  decided  to  take  care  of  some  other 
fellow's  sister?" 

"Exactly!"  Eve  laughed.  "Then  we  talked 
business.  And  now  I  want  to  talk  business  with 
you,  —  about  the  house." 

"  Then,  you  haven't  given  it  up  ?  " 

"•  We  will  consider  the  subject  seriously.  If  you 
think  it  too  much  to  undertake,  then  we  will  wait 
until  we  have  saved  a  little  more  money.  I  went 
down  to  Mrs.  Harwood  to  tell  her  about  it,  and  ask 
some  advice.  I  knew  that  she  was  putting  money  out 
all  the  time,  and  quite  glad  to  find  first  mortgages.  I 
confessed  that  our  united  savings  and  interest  would 
amount  to  about  seven  hundred  dollars,  and  what  our 
income  was  likely  to  be.  There  was  one  point  she 
asked  me  to  consider,  —  what  I  should  do  in  event  of 
your  death  ;  and  I  told  her  of  your  insurance  policy. 
Then  she  said,  buy  the  house  by  all  means.  She  will 
take  a  two-thousand-dollar  mortgage  on  it,  and  give 


IN  A  GARDEN  77 

us  five  years  to  pay  it,  with  a  three  years'  exten 
sion  if  we  should  not  be  able  to  meet  it  all.  The 
rest  she  will  hold  as' a  note,  and  we  can  pay  it  in  any 
sums  that  we  like.  She  is  coming  over  to  inspect 
our  bargain  ;  and,  oddly  enough,  she  knows  a  little 
about  Mrs.  Cassel,  who  is  to  be  married  in  April  to  a 
rich  old  man,  and  go  to  Europe.  And  she  says," 
laughed  Eve,  "  that  we  must  stand  out  for  our  offer, 
and  that  we  will  be  sure  to  get  it  at  the  last.  It 
doesn't  seem  real  honorable  to  me,  but  I  suppose  it  is 
business.  Mrs.  Harwood  puts  it  in  this  light.  The 
place  never  cost  Mrs.  Cassel  any  thing,  and  she  would 
think  nothing  of  spending  two  or  three  hundred 
dollars  on  her  personal  gratification.  It  is  not  as  if 
she  had  worked  and  economized  for  it.  And  now 
she  will  be  in  affluent  circumstances ,  while  we  need 
the  money  for  repairs  and  so  on,  and  it  is  our  busi 
ness  to  make  the  best  bargain  we  can  for  ourselves. 
But  three  thousand  dollars  does  seem  a  ridiculous 
sum  for  such  a  house  and  nearly  two  acres  of 
ground." 

"  O  Eve,  you  brave  girl ! "  I  began.  "  To  think 
of  your  doing  all  this  when  I  hardly  dared  to  take 
the  first  step !  But  I  learned  through  Pryor  that  we 
could  take  up  two  thousand  dollars  in  almost  any 
of  the  moneyed  institutions.  Didn't  Mrs.  Harwood 
say  that  I  was  a  cad  to  let  you  go  about  it?  " 


78  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

"You  did  not  send  me  about  it,  and  I  took  care 
to  let  her  know  that,"  says  Eve,  bridling  her  proud 
little  head.  "  She  was  only  afraid  you  might  marry, 
and  there  would  be  some  difficulty.  You  see,  she 
counts  on  my  being  an  old  maid." 

"  Eve,"  I  reply,  deeply  moved,  "  if  ever  we  do  get 
the  house,  it  must  be  settled  upon  you,  because  I 
never  would  have  had  the  pluck  to  go  at  it  alone." 

"  It  will  belong  to  both.  We  will  both  work  for 
it,  both  enjoy  it.  I  shall  be  all  impatience  until  Mrs. 
Harwood  comes,  and  that  will  be  on  Thursday.  You 
must  like  her,  Adam.  She  would  be  a  very  good 
friend  to  me  if  I  needed  one  :  she  is  our  friend  now." 

After  supper,  Eve  brought  out  her  housekeeping- 
book,  and  we  went  over  it  carefully.  We  had  been 
at  Athens  four  and  one-half  months.  Our  real  living 
expenses  had  averaged  twenty-six  dollars  a  month. 
There  had  been  no  rent  to  pay,  and  my  fuel  was 
bought  at  first  cost.  For  pleasures,  books,  and  inci 
dentals,  we  had  averaged  seven  dollars.  We  had 
spent,  besides  our  summer  savings,  some  twenty 
dollars  for  furniture :  we  had  needed  very  little  in 
the  way  of  clothes,  and  we  had  now  twenty-five 
dollars  on  hand.  It  was  not  much  to  save  during 
that  time,  I  confessed. 

Then  we  counted  up  our  assets.  Eve  had  three 
hundred  and  sixty  dollars,  I  had  three  hundred  and 


IN  A  GARDEN  79 

forty  odd.  We  could  venture  to  pay  seven  hundred 
dollars  down  on  the  house.  At  the  first  of  April, 
Eve  would  have  forty  dollars ;  and  there  was  quite  a 
prospect  of  her  getting  a  class  in  painting. 

Gordon  Pryor  came  in  presently,  as  usual.  This 
time  he  had  another  bargain.  There  was  a  house  a 
little  farther  to  the  north  of  us,  to  be  sold  under 
foreclosure  the  middle  of  March,  for  about  twenty- 
five  hundred.  It  was  a  larger  and  prettier  house,  with 
one  acre  of  ground. 

The  next  morning  we  went  to  look  at  it.  It  was 
a  double  house  with  a  hall  through  the  middle,  and  a 
large  parlor  on  one  side,  that  had  a  very  pretentious 
air.  There  were  four  sleeping-chambers  up-stairs, 
and  a  nice  attic  for  storage ;  a  furnace  and  a  range. 
The  fences  were  good,  and  the  house  in  fair  repair ; 
no  barn,  but  a  very  nice  hennery ;  and  some  fruit. 
There  certainly  was  a  thousand  dollars  difference. 

Thursday  brought  Mrs.  Harwood.  She  was  a 
bright,  keen-eyed  little  old  lad}^,  with  snowy  white 
hair,  and  a  kind  of  apple-bloom  in  her  cheeks,  a  rapid 
talker,  and  she  had  a  habit  of  giving  sagacious  little 
nods  to  emphasize  her  sentences.  We  went  over 
the  Cassel  cottage  exhaustively,  made  an  estimate 
of  what  repairs  would  cost,  though  I  knew  I  should 
do  it  for  half  the  sum.  Still,  that  was  for  Mrs. 
Cassel's  eye.  Mrs.  Harwood  approved  of  the  place, 


80  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

and  she  also  believed  in  young  people  laying  by 
something. 

"  It  is  so  easy,"  said  she,  "  to  take  money  out  of 
a  bank,  but  one  cannot  get  it  out  of  a  house  at  a 
moment's  notice." 

She  had  a  cup  of  tea  with  us,  and  was  as  much 
interested  in  Eve's  small  housekeeping  as  if  she  had 
been  some  connection. 

We  were  to  wait  for  some  sign  or  word  from  Mrs. 
Cassel.  Oddly  enough,  she  came  to  hand  the  very 
next  day.  Pryor  had  a  talk  with  her,  in  which  he 
said  he  played  out  his  right  bower,  —  told  her  we 
were  looking  at  another  place.  They  came  up 
together,  and  we  had  a  long  talk  over  repairs  and  all 
that. 

"  Well,"  she  said  at  length,  "  I  am  going  away  for 
a  year  or  so,  and  want  to  get  rid  of  the  house  ;  but 
it  cost  twice  that  sum.  It  is  really  giving  it  away, 
and  I  might  better  have  done  this  soon  after  Mr. 
Cassel's  death.  Take  it  at  your  own  price,  then." 

Eve  suddenly  turned  pale.  I  think  she  just  real 
ized  the  responsibility  she  had  assumed. 

Arrangements  were  made  for  the  business  to  be 
settled  the  ensuing  week.  We  sent  word  to  Mrs. 
Harwood,  and  then  lived  in  a  curious  state  of  expec 
tancy,  in  which  we  felt  that  any  thing  might  happen 
to  snatch  away  our  coveted  prize.  Every  day  we 


IN  A   GARDEK  81 

went  to  look  at  it.  There  was  a  spring-like  tender 
ness  in  the  air,  and  a  purplish  tint  to  the  swelling 
buds.  A  bluebird  now  and  then  made  a  swift  dazzle 
across  the  sky,  and  the  waysides  came  to  have  a 
peculiar  softness  under  the  dead  browns  and  grays. 

No  misfortune  happened.  Everybody  came  to 
hand,  we  paid  away  our  precious  money,  and  the 
house  and  nearly  two  acres  of  ground  were  trans 
ferred  to  us.  Mrs.  Harwood  made  up  the  remainder, 
and  took  a  mortgage  for  two  thousand  dollars,  and  a 
note  for  three  hundred.  I  must  confess  that  I  had 
some  misgivings  about  the  wisdom  of  staying  at 
Athens  on  forty-five  dollars  a  month.  But  the  die 
was  cast. 

Athens  was  very  much  surprised.  It  was  ex 
tremely  amusing  to  hear  the  comments.  Two  differ 
ent  parties  professed  to  be  dreadfully  disappointed. 
If  they  had  suspected  the  place  would  go  so  cheap, 
they  would  have  purchased  it.  Two  or  three  others 
considered  it  dear  at  any  price,  and  were  sure  one 
thousand  dollars  would  not  put  it  in  good  order. 
But  we  were  the  happiest  of  the  happy. 

"  Still,  we  have  enjoyed  our  nest  up  among  the 
eaves,"  said  my  sister,  "  only  it  would  be  too  hot  for 
comfort  in  the  summer.  And  now  we  really  begin  life. 
The  past,  with  me,  has  been  merely  playing  at  it." 

I  felt  the  responsibility  of  a  large  debt  on  my 


82  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

shoulders.     I  wondered  how  I  would  ever  get  used 

to  it. 

We  had  a  very  great  surprise  a  few  days  after  this. 
Uncle  Lennard  was  in  New  York,  and  came  over  to 
see  us.  He  was  looking  very  well ;  but  the  mining 
business  had  not  turned  out  quite  as  prosperously  as 
he  expected.  He  was  getting  up  the  company  now, 
and  hoped  in  a  few  years  to  be  a  rich  man.  Aunt 
Carry  would  spend  the  summer  at  Cleveland.  Helen, 
he  believed,  was  engaged,  or  there  was  a  prospect  of 
it.  He  was  going  to  Long  Branch,  to  look  up  some 
belongings  of  the  ladies,  and  would  have  Eve's 
piano  boxed  and  sent. 

We  kept  him  all  night.  How  restless  he  was! 
how  full  of  schemes  and  hopes  and  plans  !  Money, 
money  all  the  time  !  Yet,  when  I  said  good-by,  all 
his  old  kindness  rushed  over  me,  and  I  felt  that  I 
loved  him  like  a  son. 

About  a  week  later,  Eve  received  a  kindly  little 
note  from  him,  enclosing  a  check  for  one  hundred 
dollars.  He  had  made  some  money  by  a  fortunate 
speculation,  and  wanted  to  send  Eve  a  little  gift ; 
though  he  wished  he  could  afford  to  add  another 
cipher  to  the  figures.  Dear  uncle  Marvin !  you  had 
a  generous  heart.  Had  you  been  a  millionnaire,  you 
would  have  made  people  rejoice  on  the  right  hand 
and  on  the  left. 


IN  A   GARDEN  83 

"  Now,"  said  Eve,  "  I  shall  pay  this  directly  on  the 
house.  Isn't  it  just  lovely  ?  " 

I  demurred  at  this.  "  You  ought  to  keep  some 
thing  for  yourself.  And  there  will  be  house-furnish 
ing,  and  repairs  and  papering  "  — 

"And  lions  and  lions,"  laughed  Eve.  "You  are 
certainly  Mr.  Ready-to-halt  and  Mr.  Faint-Heart  in 
one.  Dear  old  Bunyan !  How  well  he  knew  the 
souls  of  human  beings  !  " 

In  spite  of  my  arguments,  she  went  and  paid  it. 
Mrs.  Harwood  thought  she  had  better  keep  it,  but  Eve 
was  resolute.  Then  her  friend  asked  her  to  go  out 
shopping,  and  she  purchased  two  pretty  summer-silk 
dresses.  At  parting,  she  put  one  parcel  in  Eve's  hand. 

"This  is  for  you,  my  dear,"  she  said;  "and  with 
it  my  best  wishes.  But  do  not  wear  yourself  out 
too  fast,  saving  and  working.  There  is  nothing  so 
sweet  as  youth,  and  that  is  the  season  for  pleasure." 

"  How  lovely  she  was  !  "  exclaimed  Eve.  "  I 
should  have  valued  any  little  gift,  and  I  wasn't 
expecting  any  thing ;  for  somehow  I  have  always 
fancied  Mrs.  Harwood  a  very  close  woman,  though 
she  has  a  good  deal  of  upright  common  sense,  the 
kind  that  is  just  and  earnest.  And,  when  we  get  set 
tled,  she  is  coming  over  to  pay  us  a  visit.  I  do  seem 
to  be  in  luck.  I  am  getting  all  the  things  I  want." 

"  You  seem  to  want  very  little." 


84  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND   EVE 

"You  didn't  think  so  when  I  first  proposed  a 
house,"  she  said  archly.  "  And,  Adam,  the  girls  are 
coming  over,  lots  of  them.  We  shall  have  the  gayest 
sort  of  a  summer  here  in  this  sleepy  little  town. 
Everybody  will  be  amazed." 

We  resolved  we  would  be  in  no  hurry  to  get  in. 
It  was  comfortable  where  we  were  while  fires  were 
needed,  and  we  would  take  our  renovating  by 
degrees.  I  found  the  roof  needed  a  little  repairing, 
the  leaders  were  choked  up  by  leaves  and  dirt,  and 
the  dining-room  chimney  had  a  small  leak.  I  had  a 
man  come,  who,  with  my  assistance  and  planning,  did 
the  mending,  and  all  the  leaders  were  freshly  painted, 
at  a  cost  of  seven  dollars.  The  outside  of  the  house 
needed  painting  badly,  but  that  must  wait.  Then  a 
woman  came,  and  cleaned  the  attic  and  the  second 
floor  in  one  day,  at  the  very  moderate  price  of  a 
dollar  and  a  quarter.  The  next  thing  was  to  paint 
the  woodwork. 

"Aunt  Carry  and  I  painted  down  at  Long 
Branch,"  said  Eve;  "and  why  isn't  it  just  as  sen 
sible  as  painting  innumerable  plaques  and  panels? 
There  ought  to  be  a  practical  side  to  art,  when  people 
need  it  for  real  use.  Now,  I  am  sure  you  and  I  can 
paint  it  to  our  liking.  I  want  some  pretty  delicate 
tints.  I  shall  have  blue  rooms  and  green  rooms,  and 
dainty  bits  of  coloring.  Why,  Adam,  it  will  be  the 


IN  A   GARDEN  85 

most  delightful  thing  in  the  world !  I  have  wished 
that  I  could  get  into  the  business  of  house  decoration, 
and  now  I  can  try  on  ours." 

We  purchased  some  household  paints  in  various 
tints,  and  a  can  of  white,  to  lighten  if  we  needed. 
We  had  ten  pounds  in  all,  and  by  that  quantity  we 
purchased  it  for  eighteen  cents  a  pound.  I  bought 
seventy-five  cents'  worth  of  brushes,  —  one  quite 
large,  two  small ;  and,  after  settling  upon  our  colors, 
we  went  at  the  two  small  rooms.  One  was  in  a 
delicate  lavender  ;  the  other  a  pale  gray,  with  lav 
ender  alternations.  Eve  took  the  sashes,  and  I  the 
doors.  There  were  four  doors  and  three  windows. 
I  must  confess  that  Eve  would  have  made  good 
wages  if  it  had  been  piece-work  at  a  fair  price.  She 
was  so  quick  and  deft,  so  neat  as  well.  Now  and 
then  I  had  to  run  down  for  a  train ;  but  we  finished 
both  chambers,  and  they  looked  very  inviting. 

"  Do  you  know,"  said  Eve,  "  that  I  shall  paint  the 
floors  ?  The  rooms  are  small,  and  painted  floors  will 
be  cleaner.  We  can  lay  down  rugs,  and  that  will  be 
cheaper,"  with  a  bright  laugh. 

That  evening  she  "  dreamed "  out  her  color,  she 
declared.  The  bay -windowed  room  was  to  be  hers. 
By  skilful  manipulation,  she  made  a  lovely  tint, 
neither  green  nor  blue,  but  an  indescribable  medium, 
and,  with  the  least  bit  of  gray,  softened  it  to  perfec- 


86  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

tion.  The  other  was  in  parti-colors  again,  —  buff, 
with  a  bit  of  dull  blue.  We  finished  both  the  same 
day,  and  found  we  had  not  used  all  our  paint.  The 
parlor  down-stairs  had  been  trimmed  in  black  walnut ; 
and  the  mantel  was  of  the  same  wood,  very  pretty 
indeed.  The  hall  and  stairs  were  grained  to  match; 
but  it  looked  now  as  if  suffering  from  some  eruptive 
disease,  so  many  bangs  and  rubs  had  it  received. 
The  dining-room  was  pine,  oiled  originally,  but 
looking  badly  now. 

"A  coat  of  varnish  will  help  it,"  I  said.  "And 
the  graining  must  be  mended  and  varnished." 

"  That  will  be  a  labor  long  drawn  out,  if  not  of 
linked  sweetness,"  she  said  humorously. 

Then  we  discussed  papering.  There  really  was 
nothing  else  to  do  with  the  chamber-walls. 

"  And  when  once  done,  it  lasts  for  a  long  while," 
Eve  continued.  "  We  can  do  it  ourselves." 

But  we  decided,  while  we  were  about  it,  that  it 
would  be  the  part  of  wisdom  to  paper  the  ceilings  as 
well.  Then  we  could  go  on  for  years  without  much 
fuss  of  house-cleaning.  We  went  down  to  North- 
wood  one  morning,  and  looked  at  "odd  lots,"  finding 
many  really  beautiful  remnants  that  the  dealer  was 
glad  to  sell  at  any  price.  One  piece  took  Eve's  fancy 
particularly.  It  had  four  stripes  in  the  width  that 
were  exquisite. 


IN  A  GARDEN  87 

"  You  see,"  said  Eve,  with  an  eye  to  economy, 
"  this  will  make  beautiful  bordering  at  a  very  small 
cost.  I  am  not  going  to  have  it  put  on  in  the  usual 
regulation  way,  but  try  how  much  harmony  and 
effect  I  can  get  in  it." 

We  spent  for  paper,  nine  dollars  and  fifty  cents, 
and  had  enough  for  the  chambers  and  the  dining- 
room.  I  had  a  man  come  one  day  to  paper  the  ceil 
ings  :  the'  rest  we  did  ourselves.  There  was  a  little 
deep  red  in  the  dining-room  paper ;  and  we  touched 
up  the  woodwork  at  the  edges  of  the  moulding 
with  Pompeiian  red,  and  the  effect  was  excellent. 
The  hall  and  stairways  had  painted  walls,  also  the 
parlor.  They  were  not  in  very  good  order ;  but  being 
clean,  we  decided  to  let  them  go  until  a  more  conven 
ient  season.  The  kitchen  had  a  wainscoted  dado 
with  paper  above,  but  we  resolved  sometime  to  paint 
it.  I  must  not  omit  to  state  that  Eve  painted  the 
floors  of  the  small  chambers  in  Pompeiian  red,  and 
was  well  satisfied  with  her  experiment.  We  found 
it  to  be  a  most  excellent  and  cleanly  proceeding. 

We  had  now  spent  for  labor  and  material  twenty- 
four  dollars  and  fifty-five  cents,  and  had  the  inside  of 
our  house  in  very  fair  order.  For  this  we  used  our 
March  surplus  and  the  fifteen  dollars  we  had  saved 
before.  We  would  have  enough  to  live  on  during 
April,  but  I  insisted  that  Eve  should  keep  her  forty 


88  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

dollars  for  the  present.  So  far,  —  it  was  then  about 
the  10th  of  April,  —  the  weather  had  been  decidedly 
cold.  Not  much  could  be  done  in  farming. 

We  had  entertained  ourselves  by  reading  up  all 
kinds  of  farm  and  garden  literature  that  came  in  our 
way,  and  we  could  get  plenty  of  it  at  the  library. 
We  laughed  over  the  failures  and  mistakes :  we  mar 
velled  a  little  at  some  of  the  wonderful  stories. 

"  The  best  way,"  said  Eve  sagely,  "  is  to  strike  a 
golden  mean.  Since  we  have  a  garden  and  some 
time  on  our  hands,  let  us  try  to  make  it  profitable. 
If  we  could  pay  the  interest  with  our  sales  "  — 

"  O  Eve ! "  I  interrupted,  "  don't  dream  of  that. 
In  fact,  don't  dream  of  any  thing.  This  year  will  be 
just  an  experiment." 

"  But  we  must  avoid  what  has  proved  unfortunate 
in  other  people's  experiments,  and  adopt  the  best. 
What  is  the  good  of  all  this  wisdom  of  years  and 
years,  if  it  does  not  teach  you  to  do  something  ?  " 

I  took  a  serious  survey  of  my  garden  one  sunny 
morning,  and  began  to  trim  the  trees.  There  were 
three  .quinces  that  looked  quite  promising  when 
pruned  into  shape.  Just  back  of  the  house  was 
one  large  pear-tree,  and  at  the  south-west  corner  a 
cherry-tree.  At  the  side  near  the  street  was  a  large 
oblong  of  grass,  —  lawn,  I  suppose  I  ought  to  call  it. 
Back  of  this  were  two  rows  of  pear-trees  going  up  to 


IN  A  GARDEN  89 

the  barn,  eight  in  all.  One  in  each  row  I  found  was 
dead,  but  the  space  was  better  for  those  that  remained. 
Beyond  this  there  were  the  quince,  two  apple-trees, 
one  more  cherry ;  and  there  had  been  peaches  innu 
merable,  but  they  were  nearly  all  dead,  though  some 
promising  young  ones  had  grown  up.  The  ground 
had  a  frontage  of  two  hundred  feet  on  Oak  Avenue, 
and  was  three  hundred  feet  in  length.  Over  on  the 
west  side  at  the  dividing-line  was  a  blackberry 
tangle  that  did  look  hopeless.  I  found  currants, 
gooseberries,  and  raspberries.  The  two  former  were 
set  between  the  pear-trees.  Certainly,  there  had  been 
an  abundance  of  fruit  when  the  place  was  in  order. 

I  trimmed  and  trimmed.  I  dragged  my  dead  and 
useless  branches  to  the  barn-yard,  and  decided  that 
we  ought  to  have  a  fireplace  in  the  house,  that  we 
might  enjoy  the  blaze  thereof.  It  seemed  to  me  an 
endless  task  ;  but  I  went  over  the  ground  thoroughly 
as  far  as  I  did  go,  and  was  amazed  at  the  improve 
ment.  There  would  be  a  large  space  for  gardening, 
and  we  discussed  what  our  vegetable  venture  would 
be. 

"  Pease  and  sweet  corn,"  said  Eve,  "  and  radishes 
and  lettuce  and  tomatoes.  Oh,  we  ought  to  plant  the 
seeds  in  boxes  !  And  cucumbers  —  and  —  every 
thing." 

I  laughed. 


90 

I  was  leaning  on  my  own  gate-post  resting,  when 
one  of  my  neighbors  came  along.  This  was  a  Mr. 
Montgomery,  whose  son,  Dan,  cast  tender  glances  at 
Eve.  Mr.  Montgomery  had  owned  all  this  end  of 
the  township,  and  been  a  prosperous  farmer,  some 
fifteen  years  before.  But  when  the  mania  for  im 
provement  overtook  Athens,  he  cut  up  his  farm,  laid 
out  the  two  avenues,  Oak  and  Montgomery,  and  sold 
off  some  plots.  Then  came  the  great  depression. 
Much  of  the  land  had  lain  waste  since  then.  It 
would  hardly  pay  to  fence  it  in,  so  it  had  been 
allowed  to  grow  bountiful  crops  of  weeds.  His 
money  he  had  been  compelled  to  live  upon,  and  found 
himself  now  in  .very  straitened  circumstances,  and 
leading  a  kind  of  aimless  life.  There  were  four  girls 
and  three  boys  in  the  family.  The  eldest  son  and 
daughter  worked  in  the  hat-factory  at  Springdale, 
the  next  station  above.  Dan  was  about  twenty, 
and  was  clerk  in  the  principal  grocery-store  at 
Athens.  The  next  daughter  had  just  set  up  as 
a  dressmaker,  and  the  three  younger  ones  were 
at  home. 

"Well,  young  man,"  began  my  senior,  "I  suppose 
you  think  you  are  going  to  do  quite  wonders  here,  — 
set  us  all  an  example ; "  and  he  gave  a  good-natured 
but  rather  derisive  laugh. 

"I  do  not  know  about  the  example,"  I  returned. 


IN  A  GARDEN  91 

"I  am  rather  new  to  this  kind  of  business,  and  I 
may  need  a  little  advice." 

"  Well,  I  suppose  you've  lots  of  book-learning  on 
the  subject,  and  let  me  tell  you  that  isn't  worth  a 
rye  straw.  What  you  want  is  practical  knowledge. 
And  then,  this  kind  of  work  doesn't  pay  hereabouts. 
Bermuda  and  the  South  are  sending  in  every  thing : 
there  isn't  any  profit  in  gardening,  or  farming  for 
that  matter,  unless  you  go  West.  If  my  wife  was 
willing,  I'd  start  to-morrow." 

"Yet,"  I  said,  "people  on  Long  Island,  and,  indeed, 
in  every  direction  from  New-York  City,  do  make 
gardening  pay.  There  seems  a  continual  demand." 

"  Well,  you  don't  get  any  returns.  The  best 
prices  are  gone,  and  you  come  in  at  the  fag-end. 
Wasn't  calculating  to  do  that  yourself,  I  hope  ? " 

"  Not  at  present ;  but  I  shall  raise  a  little  to  try 
my  hand." 

"  There's  no  use  bothering  with  it.  You  can  buy 
it  for  half  of  what  it  will  cost  you.  Now,  do  you 
know  what  I'd  do  with  this  place?" 

"What?"  I  inquired. 

"  Well,  first  of  all,  I'd  hustle  up  that  great  patch 
of  blackberry  briers.  They  are  the  worst  things  to 
get  in  the  ground :  you  have  to  fight  'em  out  every 
inch  of  the  way.  I  had  'em  several  years,  then  I 
cleared  'em  out  root  and  branch  " 


92  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

"But  what  do  you  do  for  berries?" 

"  Oh !  plenty  of  'em  grow  wild  about  here.  Wife 
and  the  girls  often  go  out  of  an  afternoon,  and  pick 
a  lot.  Everybody  comes  over  here." 

"If  I  should  tear  them  up,  they  wouldn't  come. 
That  might  be  an  object." 

Mr.  Montgomery  looked  rather  curiously  at  me. 
"  Well,  you'll  be  sick  enough  of  'em,"  he  said. 
"  Cassel  just  had  a  few  set  out  along  the  fence,  and 
now  look  where  they've  gone." 

"But  you  can  sell  blackberries,"  I  returned. 

"  Well,  —  what  would  you  get  ?  Not  enough  to 
pay  for  picking,"  rather  contemptuously.  "  Cassel, 
you  know,  had  every  thing  put  in  that  money  could 
buy;  but  late  years  it's  gone  to  rack  and  ruin." 

"And  if  I  take  up  the  berries?"  I  suggested, 
rather  amused. 

"  Well,  I'd  get  a  man  to  come  and  plough  up  the 
whole  thing.  Then  I'd  have  it  seeded  down. 
'T would  look  neat  and  nice,  and  be  no  trouble  ;  and 
'most  any  one  would  cut  it  for  the  grass." 

"And  how  much  would  this  cost?" 

"Well,  —  two  days'  work,  say, — about  ten  dollars. 
Ploughing,  harrowing,  and  seeding,  you  know,  take 
quite  a  little  time." 

"And  give  my  grass  away?" 

"Well,  you  might  hire  it  cut,  but  you  wouldn't 


IN  A   GARDEN  93 

more  than  pay  expenses  if  yon  sold  it.  Just  as 
broad  as  it's  long,"  and  he  gave  a  chuckle. 

"  I  do  not  believe  gardening  can  come  out  much 
worse  than  that,"  I  ventured. 

"Well,  you'll  see.  Fellows  like  you  think  they 
can  do  wonders,  but  you'll  find*  book-gardening 
doesn't  amount  to  much.  However,  if  you  want  to 
spend  your  money,  that  isn't  my  affair.  Maybe 
experience  is  the  best  teacher  after  all,"  and  he 
nodded  in  a  kind  of  satisfactory  manner. 

I  had  to  run  for  the  train,  and  my  chance  for 
further  practical  wisdom  was  lost. 


94  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 


CHAPTER  VI 

MY  TRAMP 

WE  were  spending  the  evening  with  the  Corwins, 
when  I  happened  to  repeat  the  sage  advice  of  Mr. 
Montgomery. 

"  I  suppose  we  will  have  to  call  him  a  pessimist," 
said  Mr.  Corwin.  "According  to  his  view,  nothing 
pays  but  a  salaried  position  or  weekly  wages.  He 
cannot  understand  that  a  certain  degree  of  pleasure 
in  an  undertaking  is  a  reward.  He  will  die  a  com 
paratively  poor  man ;  and  I  have  heard  people  say 
he  was  a  very  brisk,  prosperous  farmer.  Now  he 
raises  a  little  corn  and  potatoes  and  vegetables  for 
the  family,  and  keeps  declaring  that  you  can  buy 
them  much  cheaper.  His  once  beautiful  and  produc 
tive  farm  is  half  waste  land,  filling  the  world  with  a 
crop  of  all  kinds  of  weeds.  A  neighbor  of  mine 
wanted  to  take  a  three-years'  lease  on  some  lots  next 
door  to  him ;  but  no,  Montgomery  was  sure  to  sell 
them  in  a  year's  time,  and  they  are  not  sold  yet. 
When  I  think  of  all  the  unproductive  land  lying 
about  these  little  towns,  and  the  people  who  might 


95 

have  gardens  and  fruit,  it  seems  such  a  waste !  Of 
course,  Mr.  Montgomery's  taxes  are  much  higher 
than  if  his  property  was  still  a  farm  ;  and  it  will  eat 
up  half  his  substance  in  the  end." 

"And,  Miss  Thurston,  don't  ever  allow  yourself 
to  be  inveigled  into  going  after  wild  berries  of  any 
kind,"  said  Mrs.  Corwin.  "  They  are  small,  full  of 
seeds,  half  green  if  you  do  get  them,  because  the 
children  pull  them  so  soon.  Many  a  time  I  have 
picked  enough  of  my  own  in  ten  minutes,  and  just 
gone  down  to  the  foot  of  the  garden.  But  I  shouldn't 
wonder  if  you  were  overrun  with  children  this 
summer,  they  have  been  so  used  to  roaming  over  the 
place." 

"  I  shall  keep  a  dog,"  I  said. 

"And  I  shall  be  frightened  every  day  and  hour 
lest  the  dog  goes  mad,"  responded  Eve,  at  which 
everybody  laughed. 

However,  by  the  middle  of  the  month,  a  gentleman 
came  up  to  Athens  to  look  at  the  plot  of  ground 
next  to  me.  It  had  just  fallen  to  his  wife  by  inherit 
ance  ;  arid  she  had  resolved  to  have  a  country-house 
built,  if  the  place  was  at  all  desirable.  We  walked 
through  his  ground  and  then  mine ;  and  I  think  he 
was  very  favorably  impressed,  for  the  next  day  he 
brought  up  his  wife.  They  were  a  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wilbur,  and  had  five  children.  They  wanted  a  plain, 


96  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

roomy  house,  just  for  summer  living,  with  plenty  of 
out-of-doors,  and  some  shade.  On  their  plot  stood 
two  magnificent  old  apple-trees  and  some  chestnuts. 
That  seemed  to  decide  the  lady  at  once,  and  they 
concluded  to  go  at  the  building  immediately.  So 
we  would  have  a  next-door  neighbor  in  the  summer 
at  least. 

I  was  casting  about  for  some  one  to  assist  me  in 
my  labors,  when  an  incident  occurred  that  enabled 
me  to  do  a  good  deed  as  well.  Going  down  for  the 
noon  train,  I  saw  a  ragged  tramp  sitting  on  a  step  at 
the  end  of  the  freight-room.  After  the  train  had 
gone,  he  shambled  along  in  a  downcast  way,  watching 
me  wistfully.  He  was  not  more  than  twenty,  but  a 
pitiable  object ;  still,  I  had  seen  so  many  poor,  half- 
starved  railroad  lads,  that  my  heart  went  out  to  him. 

"  Well  ?  "  I  said  in  a  tone  of  inquiry,  as  he  halted 
within  speaking  distance. 

"Then,  you  don't  know  me,  Thurston?"'  and  the 
pale  face  flushed,  partly  with  shame  I  think. 

As  I  studied  him  doubtfully,  he  said  with  some 
hesitation,  "  Crawford.  I  was  down  at  Great 
Mammoth  Beach  two  summers  ago." 

"  Not  Joe  Crawford !  " 

The  tears  came  into  the  poor  lad's  eyes. 

Twenty  months  ago  I  had  parted  from  a  nice, 
bright,  rosy-cheeked  lad,  who  had  been  but  two  years 


IN  A  GARDEN  97 

in  service.  Now  he  was  pale,  gaunt,  sodden  as  to 
complexion,  and  his  eyes  showed  traces  of  dissipation. 

"  I've  seen  awful  hard  times  this  winter,"  he  said ; 
"  and  I  have  a  promise  of  a  place  in  Jersey  City  the 
1st  of  May.  I've  been  staying  a  week  with  Jim 
Turner  at  Field's  Landing,  and  he  passed  me  on,  — 
if  the  boys  hadn't  been  good  to  me  "  —  and  the  poor 
fellow  broke  down. 

The  old,  old  story.  Jim  Turner  was  good-hearted, 
and  a  first-class  man  when  he  was  sober ;  but  once  a 
month  or  so  he  would  go  on  what  he  called  a  u  tear." 
Likely  he  and  Crawford  had  been  drinking  together. 

"When  did  you  leave  Jim?*'  I  asked. 

"Last  Friday.  I've  tramped  since  then,  and 
begged.  I  heard  some  one  say  you  were  here.  — 
Thurston,  I  haven't  had  a  crust  since  noon  yester 
day,  and  I  crawled  under  a  shed  last  night.  I  can't 
see  why  some  boys  should  have  such  bad  luck." 

"  First,  then,  you  want  a  good  square  meal,"  I 
said.  "  Come  into  the  station.  I  am  living  here." 

"  Oh !  you're  married." 

"  No  :  my  sister  is  with  me,"  was  my  brief  reply  ; 
and  I  was  rather  glad  Eve  was  up  at  the  house. 

He  followed  me  in.  There  was  a  little  fire  in  the 
stove,  and  he  went  close  to  it  with  a  sigh  of  relief. 
How  wan  and  wretched  he  looked,  —  a  travesty  upon 
youth,  and  the  health  he  used  to  have ! 


98  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

"  Sit  down,  and  rest  yourself,"  I  said,  "  and  I  will 
hunt  you  up  something." 

I  was  to  take  some  lunch  to  Eve,  who  was  busy 
with  closets,  painting  the  shelves  and  floors,  and  did 
.not  want  the  walk  just  then.  I  prepared  a  bountiful 
plateful  for  Crawford,  —  cold  beef,  biscuits,  and  a 
great  slice  of  cake,  —  and  then  put  up  ours. 

"  Now,"  I  said  cheerfully  to  him,  "  you  eat  this ; 
then  take  this  cushion,  and  curl  up  in  the  corner, 
and  go  to  sleep.  I'll  be  back  in  about  an  hour  and 
a  half,"  for  I  did  not  want  to  alarm  Eve  by  any  pro 
longed  stay.  "Make  yourself  at  home.  You're 
used  to  a  railroad  station." 

"  You're  such  a  good  fellow ! "  he  said  grate- 
fully. 

I  locked  the  door  of  my  office  as  usual,  but  the 
waiting-room  was  always  kept  open. 

Eve  and  I  had  our  lunch,  and  then  went  on  with 
our  work.  Hers  was  finished  presently,  but  I  had  to 
leave  mine  with  the  same  hopeless  aspect.  I  should 
not  get  over  to  the  berries  before  midsummer. 
Against  Farmer  Montgomery's  advice,  I  had  spaded 
up  some  ground,  and  planted  pease. 

Going  down,  I  told  Eve  of  my  tramp,  and  what  I 
knew  of  him.  I  had  met  him  first  at  the  beach. 
He  was  a  country  lad,  an  orphan,  and  had  learned 
telegraphing.  When  his  married  sister  went  West, 


IN   A.  GARDEN  99 

he  floated  out  to  the  great  city,  to  add  one  more  to 
the  waifs  and  strays. 

"  Poor  fellow !  "  said  Eve  pitifully. 

"  If  they  would  not  spend  their  money  for  drink  !  " 
I  returned,  rather  impatiently. 

"  Yet  you  have  said,  Adam,  that  you  could  hardly 
blame  them,  either,  when  their  lives  were  so  hard." 

I  sighed.  There  was  and  is  a  great  wrong  some 
where,  when  destruction  is  set  in  the  way  of  thou 
sands.  Arid  I  remembered  the  first  time  I  had  seen 
Joe  Crawford  drunk :  some  of  the  boys  had  done  it 
as  a  joke.  He  was  very  sick  for  a  day  or  two,  and 
very  much  ashamed ;  and  I  had  taken  him  in  hand. 

He  was  asleep  now,  curled  up  in  the  corner-seat, 
with  the  cushion  back  of  his  head.  He  looked  pallid 
in  the  extreme,  and  his  lips  were  a  kind  of  purplish 
blue.  Deep  shades  of  the  same  tint  were  under  his 
eyes.  His  rusty  felt  hat  was  pulled  down  over  his 
forehead ;  but  his  nose  was  fine,  and  his  chin  had  a 
certain  character  and  determination,  as  if  he  might 
overcome  evil  if  he  once  resolved  earnestly.  I  re 
membered  my  own  turning-point. 

Eve  was  busy  about  housewifely  matters  up-stairs. 
She  was  employing  her  time  in  the  manufacture  of 
marvellous  lambrequins  and  curtains  and  chair- 
covers.  Trains  came  and  went.  I  wrote  a  little 
and  at  six  Joe  was  still  sleeping. 


100  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

"  We  shall  have  to  keep  him  all  night,"  said  Eve ; 
and  then  she  glanced  in  dismay  at  his  rough  and 
soiled  attire. 

"  Well,  he  can  sleep  anywhere :  the  trouble  with 
such  lads  is  often  where  to  find  a  place  to  sleep." 

Joe  started  then,  roused  himself,  and  flushed 
redly. 

"  I've  had  such  a  splendid  nap ! "  he  began. 
"  Why,  it's  never  that  late  !  "  glancing  at  the  clock. 
"  Well,  I  suppose  I  must  tramp  along,"  regretfully. 
"I'm  obliged  to  you,  Thurston,  for  this  good  rest 
and  my  dinner." 

"Were  you  going  anywhere  in  particular?" 

"  Well,  —  no  ; "  and  his  face  was  scarlet.  "  I  must 
tramp  out  a  couple  of  weeks  somehow." 

"  Then,  I  think  you  had  better  remain  here  all 
night,"  I  said  quietly.  "  We  can  make  you  a  bed." 

"  I  ain't  fit  to  stay  with  —  with  decent  people,"  he 
blurted  out  on  a  half  cry. 

"You  can  make  yourself  a  little  better.  You 
would  feel  ever  so  much  improved  by  a  nice  wash, 
and  I  can  hunt  up  a  clean  garment  or  two." 

Joe  Crawford  did  not  speak,  but  winked  his  eyes 
hard ;  yet,  in  spite  of  that,  some  tears  rolled  down 
his  cheeks. 

"Come,"  I  began  cheerfully,  "we'll  fix  you  up 
so  that  you  will  hardly  know  yourself.  I  have  a 


IN  A  GARDEN  101 

nice  little  corner  up-stairs,  and  I'll  get  some  warm 
water." 

I  had  manufactured  a  screen  out  of  an  old-fashioned 
clothes-horse,  that  shut  my  room  off  from  the  stair 
way.  I  consulted  Eve,  and  she  found  an  old  suit  of 
underwear  and  a  shirt  laid  by  for  charitable  uses.  I 
filled  a  pail  nearly  full  of  warm  water,  brought  towels 
and  soap,  and  spread  down  an  old  mat.  Then  we 
retired  to  the  office,  and  left  him  free  from  any 
danger  of  interruption. 

"  I  wish  you  had  some  clothes  that  would  fit  him. 
See  here,"  said  Eve  eagerly.  "  He  is  just  about  Mr. 
Corwin's  size ;  and  Mrs.  Corwin  was  complaining  a 
few  days  ago  of  the  old  clothes  around,  and  declaring 
she  would  have  to  make  a  rag  carpet  in  self-defence. 
I'll  just  run  over,  and  see  what  I  can  raise." 

She  returned  in  about  ten  minutes,  breathless,  with 
a  great  bundle  in  her  arms,  —  two  pairs  of  trousers, 
a  vest,  and  a  coat. 

"  Take  them  up  to  him  directly,  and  see  how  they 
will  do.  I  didn't  actually  beg  them,"  declared  Eve, 
with  a  bright  laugh,  "  but  I  made  a  bargain.  Mrs. 
Corwin  wanted  some  of  that  red  curtain  trimming, 
and  I  promised  to  send  her  some  of  your  cast-off 
garments  for  her  carpet." 

I  waited  until  the  splashing  of  water  had  nearly 
ceased,  and  then  went  up  with  my  arms  full. 


102  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

"  I  haven't  had  any  thing  so  good  for  a  month," 
said  Joe  in  a  quivering  voice.  "  And  these  soft, 
clean  clothes !  Thurston,  old  fellow,  may  I  just 
stick  mine  into  the  fire  ?  They  are  rags  and  shreds, 
and  not  fit  for  any  one  to  touch." 

They  were  all  that,  and  they  did  go  into  the  fire. 

Nothing  could  exceed  his  gratefulness  for  the  suit 
of  clothes.  He  brushed  up  his  hair,  and  looked 
really  well,  though  thin  and  haggard. 

Supper  was  quite  late;  and  Joe  seemed,  indeed,  a 
new  creature.  Eve  went  out, — she  was  helping  with 
some  church  matters.  I  must  confess,  that,  since  the 
talk  of  our  purchasing  a  house,  a  good  deal  more 
deference  had  been  paid  us  both.  The  old,  old  story 
of  the  gold  ring  and  the  fine  apparel.  It  is  always, 
"  Friend,  come  up  higher." 

While  she  was  away,  I  had  a  long  talk  with  Joe. 
The  same  quicksands  that  wreck  so  many,  —  drink 
and  bad  company.  Yet  there  is  so  little  besides  for 
thousands.  Too  often,  if  they  attempt  to  cross  the 
dividing-line,  they  are  pushed  back.  I  wondered 
secretly,  if  I  had  been  a  drunkard,  whether  any  hand 
in  all  Athens  would  have  been  stretched  out  to  save 
me. 

Yet  Joe  was  not  innately  vicious.  Given  a  pleas 
ant  home  and  surroundings  of  interest,  and  he  would 
have  been  quite  satisfied.  There  was  no  evil  longing 


IN  A  GARDEN  103 

for  the  sins  that  were  dragging  him  down  ;  but  he 
was  right  in  the  midst  of  them,  and  it  was  so  hard 
to  swim  against  the  current.  How  much  of  virtue 
and  goodness  consists  in  surroundings,  I  think  the 
great  world  little  realizes. 

The  poor  lad  had  lost  two  places  through  the 
winter  from  drink  and  neglecting  his  business.  I 
drew  from  him  the  fact  that  he  had  been  drinking 
with  Turner,  who  then  procured  a  pass,  and  sent 
him  farther  down  the  road.  Who  would  employ  him 
in  such  disreputable  attire  ?  A  friend  in  Jersey  City 
had  written  to  him  that  there  would  be  a  vacancy 
about  the  1st  of  May ;  and  on  this  slender  hope  he 
was  going  there,  into  new  temptations  and  pitfalls 
Could  anybody  save  him?  Would  not  the  evil 
forces  so  in  the  ascendency  sweep  him  to  destruction 
in  the  end  ? 

We  made  him  a  bed  down-stairs  on  the  lounge. 
The  next  morning  he  looked  like  a  new  creature. 
He  was  so  simply  grateful,  and  he  followed  Eve  about 
with  such  adoring  eyes,  that  I  was  fain  to  smile. 

"Why  couldn't  you  keep  him  for  a  few  days?" 
said  she.  "He  might  help  you  clear  up  the  place. 
You  know  you  were  talking  of  hiring  some  one  for 
a  while." 

The  same  thought  had  entered  my  mind  the  even 
ing  before.  The  poor  lad  was  homeless  and  without 


104  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

a  penny.  And  I  might  hear  of  something  for  him 
that  would  be  less  dangerous  than  the  great  vortex 
of  the  city. 

I  suggested  the  plan  to  Joe,  and  he  caught  at  it 
eagerly. 

"  I'd  do  any  thing  for  you,  Thurston.  I'd  like  to 
pay  back  a  little  of  your  kindness.  Yes,  I'll  work  at 
any  thing.  And  I  know  a  good  deal  about  such 
work  too.  Oh,  how  lucky  you  are !  I  wonder  — 
but  I  don't  suppose  I  shall  ever  have  a  home  of  my 
own,"  and  he  sighed.  "  I've  often  thought  how  nice 
it  would  be." 

"  I  was  no  nearer  it  at  twenty  than  you  are  now," 
I  made  answer.  "  And  there  is  a  long  stretch  before 
me  ere  I  can  call  the  home  really  mine." 

"And  you  have  your  sister.  My  sister  was  so 
much  older  than  I,  and  married,  and  somehow  never 
took  much  interest  in  me.  I'd  like  to  marry  "  — 

"  Do  not  marry  until  you  can  care  properly  for  a 
wife,"  I  said,  almost  sharply  I  am  afraid.  "  It  is 
a  shame  to  drag  any  woman  through  want  and  hard 
work." 

"  I  wasn't  thinking  of  such  a  thing  until  I  could 
afford  it,  Thurston,"  he  answered  humbly. 

"  And  until  you  can  love  and  honor  her,  and  en 
dow  her  with  all  your  earnings,  which  will  be  little 
enough." 


IN   A   GARDEN  105 

Joe  hung  his  head  in  abasement,  and  I  felt  sorry. 
Then  I  added  in  a  cordial  tone,  "  What  is  the  de 
cision  ?  Will  you  stay?  I  can't  afford  to  pay  much 
besides  the  living." 

"  I'll  stay  gladly,  and  do  my  best.  I  have  been 
paid  beforehand." 

Certainly  Joe  did  his  best.  He  had  an  aptitude 
for  this  kind  of  work.  He  was  cheery  and  obliging, 
and  he  followed  Eve  about  with  the  devotion  of  a 
true  knight.  Our  garden  flourished  under  his  minis 
tration.  We  went  at  the  famous  blackberry  tangle, 
armed  with  old  gloves,  and  old  clothes  and  sickles, 
and  cut  a  long,  straight  path  through.  Then  we  dug 
up  the  roots,  trimmed  the  dead  branches  out  of  the 
rows,  and  made  it  look  quite  business-like.  It  seemed 
as  if  Joe  improved  every  day.  Regular  sleep  and 
nourishing  food  took  the  haggard  lines  out  of  his 
face,  his  weak  and  bloodshot  eyes  cleared  up,  —  they 
were  a  soft  hazel  as  to  color,  —  and  his  voice  grew 
strong  and  ringing.  He  could  sing  well,  and  we 
passed  some  entertaining  evenings. 

After  the  berry  patch,  we  cleaned  out  our  cistern, 
and  then  we  felt  that  we  could  move  in  almost  any 
time.  We  had  tried  our  heater,  and  found  it  excel 
lent.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  garden  to  make,  — 
for  I  had  put  in  only  pease  and  potatoes,  —  and  the 
chicken-house  to  remodel,  for  Eve  had  the  poultry 


106  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

fever.  She  had  already  bought  two  dozen  eggs,  and 
had  two  hens  sitting  in  the  barn. 

"  I'll  get  you  some  fancy  ones,"  said  Gordon  Pryor 
one  evening  when  we  had  been  discussing  the  busi 
ness  from  the  amusing  as  well  as  the  profitable  point. 
"  I  have  a  friend  up  on  the  other  side  of  the  river, 
who  makes  money  out  of  it,  —  does  it  with  an  eye  to 
profit.  I  should  like  you  to  go  up  there  sometime, 
Thurston.  I'll  get  a  horse  and  carriage  some  day, 
and  we'll  go.  Crawford  can  keep  the  shop?" 

Joe  nodded. 

"  Westfield,  —  you  know  .the  station,  Thurston, 
though  this  is  a  mile  or  two  from  the  railroad. 
Vanduyne  is  my  friend's  name.  He  was  very  much 
out  of  health  some  years  ago,  and  went  to  Florida, 
meaning  to  stay,  but  didn't  like  it.  Then  he  started 
a  chicken  ranch.  He  keeps  all  of  the  fancy  kinds, 
and  sells  eggs  for  hatching,  raises  prize  birds,  and  all 
that.  It  is  a  sight,  I  tell  you.  But  he  is  the  most 
discouraging  fellow  to  talk  business  that  I  ever 
heard.  According  to  him,  you  want  a  fortune  to 
start,  and  you  want  knowledge  enough  to  run  the 
Government  of  the  United  States,  or  settle  the 
Indian  question.  Now,  it  never  struck  me  that  a 
hen  was  such  a  very  abstruse  subject." 

"  Unless  you  had  her  for  dinner  at  a  boarding- 
house,"  said  Joe  dryly;  and  Pryor  threw  back  his 
head  and  laughed. 


IN  A  GARDEN  107 

"  I'll  get  you  some  white  Leghorn  eggs :  they  are 
all  the  rage.  And  the  hens  are  warranted  to  lay  two 
eggs  a  day." 

"  Oh,  dear !  what  will  I  do  with  the  eggs  ? "  said 
Eve  in  comic  dismay. 

"Sell  them  at  a  dollar  a  dozen  for  hatching;  and 
drop  four  out  of  every  dozen  in  boiling  water." 

"  But  why  ?  " 

"  To  keep  the  species  from  increasing  too  rapidly. 
Eight  chickens  are  about  as  much  as  one  can  reason 
ably  expect  out  of  a  dozen  eggs." 

"-Yes,"  replied  Eve  soberly.    "I'll  remember  that." 

Joe  giggled. 

"Then,  when  your  hens  are  laying  bountifully, 
and  eggs  are  cheap,  you  pack  them  in  lime  and  some 
thing,  and  bring  them  out  as  fresh  eggs  when  the 
price  goes  up  to  sixty  cents." 

"  Is  that  the  way  your  friend  does  ?  " 

"His  methods  are  past  finding  out;  but  he  has 
loads  of  eggs  when  prices  are  high,  and  hatches 
chickens  in  an  incubator,  to  put  on  the  market  about 
the  middle  of  February.  But,  as  I  said,  he  will  talk 
you  into  believing  the  thing  impossible  before  you 
have  listened  five  minutes.  Still,  I  have  an  old  lady 
friend  at  Springdale,  who  doesn't  keep  a  very  large 
flock,  —  from  fifty  to  a  hundred,  —  and  makes  a  clear 
hundred  dollars  every  year." 


108  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

" I  should  like  to  see  her" 

"But  she  hasn't  any  method.  And  she  thinks  any 
one  can  do  it." 

"  I  have  often  wondered,"  I  said,  "  why  people  in 
general  advise  you  against  the  business  they  are  in. 
Mr.  Montgomery  insists  that  no  kind  of  farming  or 
gardening  pays ;  people  who  try  poultry,  for  the  most 
part  pronounce  that  a  failure ;  and  so  with  many 
other  things.  Then,  Watson  told  me  the  other  day 
that  I'd  be  sick  of  my  house  in  a  year  or  two  ;  that 
I  could  rent  for  half  the  sum  interest  and  repairs 
would  amount  to." 

"  Half  the  world  is  very  depressing,  the  other  half 
over-sanguine,"  commented  Pryor  dryly. 

"  And  the  medium  class  go  on  and  succeed,"  said 
Eve.  "I  have  often  heard  people  argue  that  real 
estate  did  not  pay  5  but  Mrs.  Harwood  at  thirty-five 
was  left  a  widow  with  two  small  houses  in  New  York, 
and  now  is  a  rich  woman.  She  has  bought  and  sold, 
owns  considerable  property,  and  has  money  out  on 
mortgages.  Everybody  cannot  work  on  a  large 
scale  ;  but  a  good  many  can  do  their  best  in  a  small 
way,  if  they  will." 

"You  will  do  it,  Miss  Thurston,"  Pryor  said 
admiringly. 

If  Eve  ever  thought  of  failure,  she  did  not  allow 
it  to  herself  a  moment,  I  am  sure.  I  used  to  stand 


IN  A  GARDEN  109 

still  with  a  sudden  fear,  but  I  meant  to  do  my  best. 
Her  efforts,  I  resolved,  should  not  shame  mine. 
And,  as  spring  advanced,  I  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  there  were  few  places  more  beautiful  than 
Athens.  The  long,  gradual  swell  of  land  up  to  the 
highest  point,  broken  here  and  there  abruptly,  as 
well  as  in  a  picturesque  manner,  clothed  with 
verdure  in  the  innumerable  shades  of  tender  green. 
The  river  winding  along,  a  blue  ribbon  under  the 
skies  of  faultless  blue.  The  ascent  on  the  other  side 
dotted  with  little  hamlets,  —  for  they  could  hardly 
be  called  towns,  —  and  here  and  there  a  handsome 
residence  perched  on  some  eminence  like  a  castle. 
The  fresh,  balmy  air,  the  grassy  fragrance,  the  twit 
ter  of  birds,  the  long,  tender  notes  of  the  wood-robin, 
filled  my  soul  with  a  peaceful  exaltation.  It  was  as  if 
I  had  come  out  of  a  confused,  hurrying  struggle,  and 
just  begun  to  live.  Indeed,  I  had  secured  time  to  live. 
It  might  be  dull  if  one  had  no  resource  but  a  small  rail 
road  station,  and  no  companion  :  I  had  both.  What 
wonderful  pictures  Eve  and  I  studied  in  our  walks, 
what  tones  of  color,  what  tenderness  and  breadth ! 

"It  makes  me  wild  to  paint  something  higher  than 
flowers,"  said  Eve  longingly.  "I  wish  I  had  some 
friend  who  was  a  true  artist,  who  could  feel  and  see 
and  worship ;  and  I  should  ask  her  to  come  and  stay 
weeks  with  me." 


110  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 


CHAPTER  VII 

JOE'S  FALL  FKOM  GRACE 

EVE  went  to  New  York  for  the  day.  Joe  and 
I  worked  steadily  all  the  morning ;  and  after  lunch,  I 
sent  him  down-town,  as  the  business  part  of  Athens 
was  called.  He  was  to  leave  a  message  with  Pryor 
also. 

After  an  hour  or  so  I  began  to  wonder  why  he  did 
not  return.  I  went  up  to  the  house,  but  he  was  not 
there ;  busied  myself  a  while,  then  came  down  at  four, 
as  an  up  and  a  down  train  passed  about  that  time. 
No  Joe  yet.  It  seemed  odd:  then  I  bethought 
myself  that  he  might  have  gone  riding  with  Pryor. 

At  five  he  came  sauntering  up  on  the  platform.  I 
knew  in  a  moment  what  had  happened.  I  was  hurt 
and  mortified.  I  had  made  no  comments  on  Joe's 
unfortunate  weakness;  and  it  seemed  unpardonable 
in  him,  under  the  circumstances,  to  drink  at  some 
other  person's  expense,  to  bruit  abroad  the  secret  I 
had  kept. 

He  delivered  his  message  in  a  voice  that  was  a 
little  thick,  and  his  eyes  avoided  mine. 


IN  A   GARDEN  111 

"Joe,"  I  said,  "you  have  been  drinking.  How 
could  you?" 

He  turned  and  straightened  himself,  as  if  to  brave 
it  out,  then  suddenly  collapsed. 

"  O  Thurston ! "  he  cried,  "  I'm  a  fool,  a  beast ! 
And  when  you've  been  so  kind,  —  and  I  resolved  I'd 
never  touch  another  drop  !  Shake  me  off,  and  let 
me  go  to  ruin  !  I'm  not  worth  saving." 

Those  few  words,  "let  me  go  to  ruin,"  pierced 
me  to  the  quick,  though  he  had  not  uttered  them 
upbraidingly.  In  that  great  bond  of  human  brother 
hood  I  was  in  some  degree  answerable  for  him.  I 
went  and  put  my  arm  over  his  shoulder,  and  drew 
him  into  the  office.  Then  he  broke  down  and  cried, 
as  a  half-drunken  man  is  very  apt  to  do. 

"I  shall  not  shake  you  off  without  another 
chance,"  I  said  quietly.  "  But  I  am  so  hurt !  You 
might  have  cared  more  for  me  and  my  sister." 

He  started  up.  "  Let  me  go  somewhere  and  hide. 
I'm  not  fit  to  meet  her  sweet  eyes.  O  Thurston ! 
what  devil  did  possess  me  ?  I'm  fated.  There's  no 
use  trying.  I've  signed  the  pledge  three  times,  and 
that  doesn't  help." 

"  No,"  I  said,  "  nothing  will  help  until  you  resolve 
to  help  yourself.  Now  I  am  going  to  make  you  a 
cup  of  good  strong  coffee,  and  that  will  sober  you  up 
some.  Miss  Thurston  can  not  be  home  until  six. 


112  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

Come  up-stairs,"  for  I  did  not  want  to  leave  him 
alone. 

He  stumbled  along.  "  I'm  a  miserable  wretch  to 
treat  the  best  friend  a  fellow  ever  had  in  this  world 
in  this  manner.  You  had  better  cut  me  adrift.  I 
shall  never  be  good  for  any  thing-  Thurston,  you 
don't  know  the  awful  temptation,  the  want  that  is  so 
much  stronger  than  yourself !  I  have  tried  over  and 
over  again.  No,  I  never  can  !  I'm  a  weak,  miserable 
idiot!" 

I  had  put  the  kettle  over  the  fire,  and  it  was  sing 
ing  already;  and  in  a  few  minutes  more  I  poured 
a  little  water  on  the  coffee. 

"  Will  you  tell  me  whom  you  have  been  drinking 
with?"  I  asked. 

"No  one.  At  least,  —  this  is  the  solemn  truth, 
Thurston.  While  I  was  in  Pryor's,  he  had  a  bottle 
of  lager,  and  I  took  a  glass.  It  stirred  up  all  the 
devil  of  longing  in  me.  I  started  to  come  home, 
then  I  went  down  the  street  to  a  saloon ;  but  I  said 
I  wouldn't  go  in,  and  I  went  past  it,  and  on  down 
to  the  boat-house.  There  is  a  little  place  below 
there  "  — 

"  Yes."  A  low  den  it  was  too.  There  had  been 
strenuous  objections  to  having  the  man's  license 
renewed,  but  somehow  it  had  worked  through. 

"  I  went  in,  and  had  a  drink  of  whiskey,  and  then 


IN  A   GARDEN  113 

my  brain  was  all  on  fire.  And  I  took  another  drink. 
I  had  only  a  quarter." 

"  Where  did  you  get  it,  Joe  ?  "  I  had  been  very 
careful  not  to  give  him  any  spending-money,  and  a 
horrible  reflection  on  his  honesty  flashed  through  my 
mind. 

"  Miss  Thurston  gave  it  to  me.  Oh,  what  a  vile, 
thankless  creature  I  have  been !  I've  carried  that 
quarter  since  last  Friday.  Kick  me  out,  Ad,  dear 
old  chap  !  I'm  not  worthy  of  shelter  and  kindness." 

He  began  to  cry  again,  and  sprang  up  as  if  to  go. 
I  forced  him  back  into  his  chair,  and  poured  the 
coffee,  which  was  black. 

"  Here,  drink  it !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  Then  lie  down 
on  my  cot,  and  take  a  nap." 

"  I  will  never  touch  another  drop,  I  swear  I  will 
not,  Thurston !  That  is  the  last  of  the  devilish  stuff. 
Oh,  what  a  good,  good  friend  you  are !  Do  believe 
me,  do  !  "  he  entreated: 

"We  will  talk  it  over  to-morrow.  Now  lie  down." 
I  led  him  to  my  bed,  over  which  I  had  thrown  a 
blanket,  and  went  down-stairs.  Eve  did  not  arrive 
in  that  train  ;  but  there  were  several  of  the  business 
men  I  had  come  to  know  pretty  well,  and  we  chatted 
a  bit.  The  next  one  was  in  at  six-forty.  I  gave  out 
some  express  parcels,  looked  over  my  accounts,  and 
whiled  away  the  time,  half  expecting  a  telegram, 


114  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

though  none  came.  But  she  stepped  out  of  the 
next  train,  and  gave  a  careless  nod  to  the  polite 
conductor. 

"I  am  quite  late,"  she  began  eagerly.  "I  hope 
you  did  not  worry,  and  that  you  and  Joe  have  had 
some  supper.  I  have  done  such  lots  of  things,  and 
seen  such  crowds  of  people !  and,  oh,  it  is  so  lovely 
to  get  back,  even  to  a  railroad  station  !  " 

We  were  in  the  waiting-room  by  this  time.  I  had 
her  satchel  and  parcel  in  one  hand ;  and  the  other 
arm  I  put  around  her,  drawing  her  to  me  in  a  tender 
embrace,  as  I  kissed  her.  She  seemed  so  especially 
dear. 

"  O  Adam !  we  might  pass  for  lovers ! "  with  a 
curious  little  thrill  in  her  voice. 

We  went  up-stairs,  she  talking  rapidly;  and  then 
she  threw  her  hat  and  mantle  on  the  bed.  I  had  set 
the  dishes  on  the  table,  and  the  kettle  was  again 
boiling. 

"  Where's  Joe  ?  "  she  asked,  as  she  lighted  the  lamp. 

"  We  had  some  coffee  a  while  ago,  and,  as  he  was 
rather  used  up,  I  sent  him  to  bed." 

"He  is  not  ill?" 

"  Oh,  no  !  rather  tired  out,"  I  replied  carelessly. 

I  had  resolved  that  I  would  not  let  Joe  Crawford 
go ;  and  this  secret,  if  kept  between  us  two,  might 
prove  a  bond. 


IN  A  GARDEN  115 

"  I  have  had  two  dinners,  or  luncheons,  or  whatever 
they  may  be,"  she  said  gayly,  "  and  a  treat  of  cream, 
and  some  bananas;  but  I  brought  the  last  home 
to  you  and  Joe.  And  now  you  must  have  some 
supper." 

I  went  out,  and  found  Joe  sleeping  heavily  as  I 
expected. 

Eve  poured  my  tea,  and  sliced  the  cold  meat, 
dished  out  some  jelly,  and  then  leaned  back  in  her 
chair. 

"  You  will  laugh  when  I  tell  you  all,"  and  her  face 
was  radiant  with  mischief.  "  I  have  nearly  furnished 
my  house,  and  I  have  boarders  and  boarders ! " 

"  O  Eve  ! "  I  exclaimed  reproachfully. 

"  I  will  begin  at  the  very  first.  I  went  in  to  see 
Mrs.  Harwood ;  and  she  grows  sweeter  and  sweeter, 
with  just  spice  enou'gh  to  keep  her  from  spoiling. 
She  proposes  to  come  over  the  first  two  weeks  in 
June,  and  stipulated  that  she  should  be  received  as  a 
boarder.  She  wants  to  go  out  driving  every  day, 
and  it  will  be  your  business  to  hunt  up  the  quadru 
ped  and  the  vehicle.  Then  I  went  to  the  Browers's, 
for  she  told  me  they  were  going  away.  O  Ad !  some 
people  do  have  a  lovely  side  to  their  misfortunes,  after 
all.  You  know  Mr.  Brower  failed  in  February ;  and 
of  course  he  gave  up  every  thing,  but  that  only  paid 
thirty  per  cent.  And  now,  through  some  friend,  he 


116  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

has  a  situation  to  go  out  to  a  great  fruit-importing 
house,  at  Zante  I  think  it  is,  and  he  will  take  the 
family.  Living  is  very  cheap,  and  he  has  a  good 
salary.  Mrs.  Brower  is  just  wild  with  delight.  Of 
course,  she  is  charming  any  way ;  but  I  couldn't  help 
thinking  that  they  never  really  suffered  in  any 
misfortune.  They  are  selling  off  their  furniture  at 
private  sale :  that  was  hers,  and  the  really  valuable 
has  all  gone  at  a  fairly  good  price.  Next  week  they 
break  up.  Mrs.  West  will  go  to  Tennessee  to  her 
other  daughter's  to  live.  That  lady  is  coming  on 
just  after  Fourth  of  July,  when  they  will  go  to 
Saratoga,  and  up  to  Canada.  Meanwhile  Mrs.  West 
must  board  somewhere,  and  she  is  very  fond  of  the 
country.  I  don't  know  just  who  proposed  this ;  but 
I  am  going  to  have  some  household  goods,  and  Mrs. 
West  will  take  it  out  in  board.  She  is  the  dearest, 
sweetest  old  lady,  and  will  make  very  little  trouble." 

"  Upon  my  word,"  I  said  laughingly,  "  it  is  a 
clear  case  of  barter!  Eve,  you  are  setting  the 
improvements  of  political  economy  at  defiance.  It 
is  only  in  the  early  stages  of  civilization  that  people 
trade  in  this  manner." 

"I  always  get  tangled  up  on  political  economy, 
but  I  can  make  bargains.  She  pays  eight  dollars  a 
week,  —  a  pretty  good  price,  I  think  ;  and  there  will 
be  eight  weeks,  —  sixty-four  dollars.  For  that  I  get 


IN  A  GARDEN  117 

a  really  pretty  cottage  suite,  springs  and  mattress, 
lots  of  odds  and  ends  of  carpets  that  will  make  over 
into  rugs,  and  some  beautiful  glass  and  china,  odd 
pieces  that  are  not  salable.  In  fact,  I  think  I  shall 
have  a  good  deal  for  my  trouble  and  small  ex 
pense." 

"  But  —  and  you  are  to  teach  music  and  painting, 
and  keep  house,  and  every  thing !  You  will  wear 
yourself  out." 

"I  shall  have  a  handmaiden.  I  had  partly  bar 
gained  for  her.  Then,  in  July,  six  girls  are  coming 
over  for  a  week.  I  am  so  afraid  I  shall  get  lonesome 
in  the  country,"  and  she  made  an  amusing  face. 
"What  makes  you  look  so  grave?  —  does  the  prospect 
frighten  you  ?  " 

I  smiled  then.  "It  is  not  the  girls,"  I  said,  "but 
the  one  girl  dearest  to  me.  You  seem  to  be  doing 
every  thing ;  and  I  cannot  make  a  dollar  more,  try 
my  very  best." 

"  But  you  save  it,  you  see,"  with  her  bright  look, 
which  certainly  is  inspiriting.  "  Do  you  not  remem 
ber  several  of  the  neighbors  said  it  would  cost  at 
least  one  hundred  dollars  to  put  that  place  in  order  ? 
We  have  only  had  it  a  month  yet,  and  see  what  has 
been  done  at  a  trifling  cost.  And  next  week  we 
must  move  in.  The  goods  will  be  up  on  Tuesday, 
and  on  Friday  Mrs.  West  is  coming  over.  I  am  so 


118  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

glad  Joe  is  still  here,  though  I  suppose  it  is  not  very 
profitable  for  him.  But  he  is  so  handy  and  willing." 

We  had  finished  our  supper  by  this  time,  or  rather 
I  had.  Joe  was  still  asleep.  Eve  stood  the  tea  on 
the  back  of  the  stove,  and  deftly  put  away  the  dishes. 
I  sat  there,  growing  angrier  at  myself  that  I  was  not 
in  some  business  where  I  could  keep  her  a  lady.  I 
hated  to  have  her  always  planning  how  she  could 
make  a  little  money.  Yet,  with  all  the  incidents  of 
the  day,  she  had  been  to  look  at  a  new  picture  that 
was  creating  unusual  interest,  and  her  vivid  descrip 
tion  seemed  to  place  it  before  my  very  eyes.  She 
was  fitted  to  adorn  some  higher  station.  How 
could  she  be  so  delightfully  content! 

I  roused  Joe  presently,  and  sent  him  to  his  own 
bed.  But  afterward  I  lay  awake  a  long  while,  pon 
dering  the  grave  question  of  another's  moral  salva 
tion.  I  should  have  been  glad  to  go  to  Mr.  Bradford, 
and  ask  his  help ;  but  I  could  see  that  there  would 
be  no  sympathy  between  the  two.  Joe  would  shrink 
into  himself,  and  seem  ungracious,  stolid;  and  Mr. 
Bradford  would  drop  into  platitudes.  They  would 
not  meet  at  any  vital  point.  Yet  why  should  not 
the  salvation  of  any  soul  be  an  important  matter 
with  him  ? 

Eve  was  bright  and  stirring  the  next  morning :  I 
was  about  to  say  bustling,  but  that  word  never 


IN  A  GARDEN  119 

applied  to  her.  She  always  moved  with  such  grace 
and  ease,  and  looked  so  truly  the  lady.  Joe  was  up 
early,  swept  the  office  and  waiting-room,  and  was  out 
on  the  platform  before  I  came  down.  He  looked 
rather  shamefaced,  but  his  dissipation  had  left  no 
other  trace. 

"  Did  you  tell  her  ?  "  he  asked  in  a  whisper. 

"  No,"  I  answered  ;  and  he  wrung  my  hand. 

We  decided  at  breakfast  that  it  would  be  best  to 
take  every  thing  we  could  spare,  and  let  Joe  sleep  in 
the  new  house.  The  piano  had  been  there  several 
days ;  but  it  was  still  boxed,  and  no  one  knew  it  had 
come.  We  packed  baskets  and  boxes,  and  Joe  moved 
on  a  wheelbarrow,  making  a  good  deal  of  amusement 
out  of  it.  They  put  up  window-curtains  and  lam 
brequins,  hung  pictures  and  brackets,  and  placed 
some  pretty  vases  and  ornaments  around.  My  cot 
was  put  in  one  of  the  small  rooms,  and  a  rug  laid  in 
front  of  it.  There  was  a  pretty  curtain  at  the  win 
dow,  bordered  with  a  soft,  dull  red ;  a  wall-pocket 
we  had  manufactured  to  hold  odd  papers ;  two  book 
shelves  arranged  bracket- wise ;  and  when  the  chairs 
and  washing-stand  came  up,  it  would  look  cosey 
enough. 

Joe  and  I  had  no  chance  for  a  talk  all  day ;  but 
Eve  went  down  to  the  choir-practice  with  Ruth 
Montgomery.  She  had  been  asked  to  join  them ; 


120  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND   EVE 

but  for  various  sensible  reasons  had  declined,  though 
her  voice  never  failed  in  the  congregation. 

"Thurston,"  Joe  said,  after  a  long  silence,  "you 
are  the  best  fellow  I  ever  knew.  I  acted  like  a  fiend 
'yesterday,  didn't  I?  Was  I  very  —  much"  —  and 
the  poor  lad  faltered  with  shame. 

"  You  were  not  quite  out  of  your  senses,  I  am 
thankful  to  sa}7.  But,  O  Joe !  how  could  you  ? " 

"I  don't  know.     I'll  take  the  pledge  again." 

"  What  good  will  that  do,  if  you  do  not  mean  to 
keep  it?" 

"But  I  do  mean  when  I  sign  it.  Only  I'm  so 
awfully  weak  when  the  temptation  comes.  And  the 
desire  is  so  strong  —  you  don't  know,  Thurston. 
You've  never  been  there." 

"  Joe,"  I  said  slowly,  "  I  have  been  there :  to  my 
shame  and  sorrow  I  confess  it.  Yet  it  was  not  from 
any  real  love  for  liquor,  but  rather  the  jolly  com 
panionship,  and  the  most  horrible  indifference.  I 
can't  say  that  I  ever  longed  for  it.  And  to  burn  up 
one's  blood  and  brain  and  health,  to  throw  away 
character  and  capability,  does  seem  so  senseless." 

"What  did  you  do?" 

"I  resolved,  and  then  I  kept  steadfastly  to  my 
resolve.  I  said  my  strength  should  be  stronger  than 
the  temptation." 

"  I   have  tried,"  he  returned   complainingly.     "  I 


IN  A   GARDEN  121 

thought  the  pledge  would  help  me,  give  me  some 
strength  ;  but  it  did  not,"  and  he  sighed. 

"No,"  I  said,  "you  do  not  try  to  the  extent  of 
your  strength.  You  rather  try  the  extent  of  the 
temptation.  You  keep  looking  at  it,  and  longing 
for  it ;  and  you  take  yourself  to  the  door  of  the 
saloon,  and  then  you  topple  over,  and'  say  you  can't 
help  yourself.  Suppose  yesterday  you  had  come 
directly  up  here,  and  not  tempted  yourself  further? 
Suppose  you  had  said,  '  I  will  not  do  this  thing,'  and 
walked  resolutely  away.  Then  }TOU  would  have 
tried  your  own  strength.  I  do  not  believe  God  ever 
made  any  soul  so  weak  but  that  it  could  put  forth 
some  strength.  You  and  I,  who  were  born  of  sober, 
health}'  parents,  cannot  plead  the  excuse  of  the  poor 
wretches  who  have  been  born  of  generations  of 
drunkards.  So  God  has  already  helped  you  in  that 
way." 

"Ad,"  he  said,  in  a  low,  awed  voice,  "are  you 
religious  ?  " 

It  was  not  the  first  time  in  my  life  that  I  had 
wished  I  dared  say  boldly  and  bravely  that  I  was. 
I  did  not  understand  the  great  and  awful  mystery 
that  some  can  make  so  simple,  and  others  so  com 
plicated  and  well-nigh  impossible. 

"  I  have  never  quite  decided  the  matter  for  my 
self,"  I  answered  slowly  ;  "  but  if  I  cannot  do  all  the 


122  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

things  I  consider  right,  I  can  at  least  refrain  from 
some  I  know  to  be  deadly  wrong.  And  this  matter 
of  drinking  is  one.  If  the  taste  of  it  fills  you  with 
desire,  then  you  must  not  drink  at  all.  I  think  I 
would  make  a  resolve  for  six  months,  at  least.  It 
has  been  the  cause  of  all  your  troubles  so  far.  It 
keeps  you  at  poverty's  door,  it  throws  you  out  of 
situations,  it  loses  friends  and  trust  and  respect. 
It  may  not  kill  you  speedily,  but  you  might  better 
a  thousand  times  be  dead.  And  your  example  acts 
upon  others.  You  encourage  them  every  time  you 
drink.  Some  younger  lad  may  lay  his  sin  and 
weakness  at  your  door." 

"I  never  thought  of  it  in  that  light.  Oh,  I 
wish  I  could  stop !  God  knows  I  wish  I  could 
stop ! " 

He  was  walking  up  and  down,  his  voice  in  a 
great  tremble,  that  meant  earnestness  now,  even  if 
evanescent. 

"  You  raw,  Joe.  Just  think  as  strongly  and 
surely  that  you  can,  as  that  the  temptation  has  so 
much  more  power  than  your  own  will  and  your  own 
soul.  What  you  want  is  real  backbone.  All  the 
resolves  in  the  world  will  not  save  you.  It  is  a 
great  fight  with  the  powers  of  evil,  and  God  will 
help  you ;  but  he  doesn't  keep  you  in  spite  of  your 
self.  You  must  act.  Nothing  saves  you  against 


IN  A   GARDEN  123 

your  own  self.  If  you  are  looking  for  that,  you  may 
as  well  hurry  to  a  drunkard's  grave  at  once." 

"  But,  oh !  what  am  I  to  do  ?  "  he  pleaded. 

"  You  are  to  begin  in  good  earnest.  See  here,  you 
are  not  quite  twenty-one  yet.  I  suppose  you  have 
been  drinking  three  years  or  so.  How  many  situations 
have  you  lost  in  the  last  year?  What  have  you 
gained  except  to  add  to  the  prosperity  of  the  liquor 
interest?  You  have  gone  in  rags,  you  have  suffered 
with  hunger  and  cold,  and  the  man  who  sells  you  rum 
laughs  to  himself  to  think  what  a  silly  fool  you  are." 

Joe's  face  flushed  deeply. 

"  It  is  idiotic  when  you  come  to  think  of  it  in  that 
light.  It  is  shameful  all  around.  See  here,  Ad 
Thurston,  I  will  never  drink  another  drop  as  long  as 
I  live,  so  help  me  God ! " 

He  stopped  right  before  me,  and  put  out  both 
hands.  I  took  them  in  a  strong  grasp. 

"  Make  that  promise  solemnly  to  God,"  I  said ; 
"  but  give  me  your  faithful  word,  that,  for  the  next 
six  months,  you  will  neither  buy  it  for  yourself,  nor 
allow  any  one  to  treat  you.  Tell  me  this  every 
Saturday  night.  When  you  are  away  from  me,  send 
a  postal  or  telegram.  Giving  an  account  so  often 
will  keep  it  fresh  in  your  mind.  And  never  think 
you  cannot  do  it ;  always  believe  that  you  can  by  going 
away  from  the  temptation,  not  looking  and  longing 


124  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

after  it.  And  now,"  I  continued,  "  I  am  going  to 
give  you  Miss  Eve's  quarter  back  again.  Think 
that  you  spent  my  money,  not  hers.  You  see,  it  isn't 
any  trust  when  you  know  a  fellow  can't  do  a  certain 
thing.  I  know  you  have  the  money  to  get  a  drink, 
but  I  trust  you  wholly  for  my  own  and  my  sister's 
sake.  I  know  you  mean  to  keep  your  word  this  time." 

"Yes,"  he  said  just  under  his  breath,  and  began 
to  walk  up  and  down  again. 

I  had  learned  before  this  that  long  sermons  were 
useless.  There  was  such  a  thing  as  talking  away 
the  strength  of  an  argument  in  cases  like  these. 
One's  own  reflection  and  resolves  must  count  for  a 
factor,  or  the  work  is  in  vain. 

After  the  train  came  in,  we  went  down  for  Eve. 
Pryor  was  there ;  and  we  all  walked  back  together, 
and  had  a  pleasant  little  chat  about  our  moving. 

"  Do  you  know,"  said  he,  "  that  I  am  half  sorry  ? 
What  jolly  evenings  we  have  had  in  this  little  office, 
and  what  famous  talks  about  every  thing !  I  never  en 
joyed  a  winter  more  in  my  life,  though  of  course  I've 
had  gayer  ones.  I  can  just  imagine,  though,  what  a 
paradise  you  will  make  of  that  place  up  there.  You 
have  taken  hold  of  the  right  end,  and  you'll  succeed 
too." 

"  If  we  shouldn't  stumble  over  an  apple,"  returned 
Eve,  her  eyes  alight  with  humor. 


IN  A   GARDEN  125 

"  An  apple ! "  he  exclaimed  in  amaze ;  but  Joe 
caught  at  the  joke,  and  giggled. 

"  Oh  !  "  and  he  laughed.  "  It  will  be  Adam  and 
Eve  in  a  garden.  And  who  is  to  play  serpent  ?  " 

"  Some  designing  Lilith,  who  will  set  her  cap  for 
Adam.  But  we  have  made  a  league,  offensive  and 
defensive ;  and  we  shall  allow  of  no  third  person 
until  Paradise  has  been  paid  for  in  hard  cash !  "  Eve 
exclaimed  resolutely. 

"  O  Miss  Thurston  !  " 

Pryor  looked  at  her  so  steadily  that  he  almost  had 
his  heart  in  his  eyes. 

"  Yes,"  she  resumed,  in  a  tone  that  was  friendly  to 
a  point  of  frank  meaning.  "  It  is  hard,  I  know,  — for 
the  girls.  Ad  is  nice." 

"But  you"  — 

"  Well,  I've  brought  him  into  this  trouble,  almost 
against  his  will,  and  it  would  be  cruel  not  to  see  him 
through.  So  I  shall  have  to  put  up  a  card  over  the 
hall-door,  '  All  hope  abandon,  ye  who  enter  here.' " 

"  You  are  cruel,"  he  said.  "  That  was  not  the  way 
the  flaming  sword  was  used." 

"  But,  you  see,  we  do  not  mean  to  have  any  falls 
from  grace  until  the  five  years  are  ended." 

"  Pryor  is  more  than  half  in  love  with  your  sister," 
Joe  Crawford  said  that  night. 


126  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 


CHAPTER  VIII 


ON  Monday  morning  we  began  to  pack  up  our 
bulky  articles.  The  smaller  ones  had  gone  in  the 
manner  in  which  Pip  was  brought  up,  —  "  by  hand." 
I  had  hired  a  wagon  of  a  neighbor ;  and  after  break 
fast,  we  made  ready,  and  moved.  Joe  and  I  put  the 
kitchen-stove  in  place,  and  the  fire  was  kindled.  Joe 
and  Eve  put  the  matting  down  in  the  two  chambers, 
and  the  furniture  was  placed  in  proper  position  after 
some  moving  about.  Eve  had  chosen  the  room  with 
the  bay-window,  and  it  furnished  very  prettily. 
Indeed,  the  bedroom  suite  had  never  looked  half  so 
pretty  in  the  big  room  over  the  station.  Then  she 
prepared  the  dinner ;  but  we  were  compelled  to  have 
it  in  the  kitchen,  as  our  conveniences  were  of  that 
sort,  and  extremely  limited. 

"  The  first  thing  to-morrow  morning  we  must  go 
down  to  Northwood,  and  buy  some  more  matting,  a 
dining-table,  and  chairs.  When  we  get  rich,  we  can 
have  some  carpets.  I  have  just  fifty  dollars." 

"  Which  you  ought  to  spend  on  yourself." 


IN  A  GARDEN  127 

"  As  I  mean  to ; "  and  Eve  nodded  complacently. 
"  The  1st  of  June  I  shall  have  ten  dollars  more. 
The  1st  of  July  thirty  dollars ;  and  if  the  class  in 
painting  gets  together,  —  I  have  offered  to  give  a 
class  of  ten  girls  twelve  lessons  for  five  dollars 
apiece,  just  half  price ;  but  having  them  all  at  once 
makes  the  difference.  That  will  be  fifty  dollars,  you 
see,"  triumphantly. 

"  You  seem  to  coin  money,"  I  said  jocosely.  "  I 
shall  have  to  look  well  to  my  ways." 

"  Oh !  this  is  a  sort  of  summer  harvest,"  she  laughed. 
"  But  I  do  hope  to  go  on  with  the  music ;  and  now  I 
have  my  own  dear  piano  for  aid  and  comfort.  For 
fifty  dollars  we  must  furnish  our  dining-room,  and 
cover  our  parlor-floor." 

"  Well,  you  know  how  to  work  miracles,"  I  replied. 

Then  we  went  out  in  the  garden.  The  grass  was 
looking  green  and  lovely :  there  were  some  daffodils 
in  bloom,  and  here  and  there  a  crocus.  The  rose 
bushes  had  been  trimmed :  there  were  indications  of 
tulips,  and  great  mounds  of  day-lilies.  We  could 
think  how  lovely  it  would  be  when  the  fruit-trees 
came  out :  the  cherries  were  showing  white,  and  the 
peaches  were  in  a  haze  of  pink,  but  nothing  really 
open.  We  had  discovered  a  great  lilac,  and  several 
bushes  of  syringa. 

"  I  can  hardly  wait,"  she  declared ;  "  and  yet  I  wish 


128  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

the  days  were  twice  as  long,  there  is  so  much  to  do. 
Why,  I  never  knew  time  to  go  so  fast." 

We  were  to  sleep  in  our  own  house  that  night,  and 
Joe  was  to  take  the  lounge  down  at  the  office.  He 
insisted  that  I  should  not  come  down  for  the  first 
train  but  I  knew  I  should  be  awake.  I  spent  the 
evening  taking  the  piano  out  of  its  coffin,  as  Eve  called 
it.  The  packing  had  been  well  done,  and  it  had  not 
suffered  a  scratch;  but  it  needed  polishing,  and,  no 
doubt,  tuning.  We  decided  where  it  should  stand ; 
and,  as  soon  as  we  had  the  matting  down,  I  would 
get  some  help  to  lift  it. 

The  stairs  and  hall  we  resolved  to  leave  for  the 
present,  or,  at  least,  until  my  pay  came.  We  dis 
cussed  the  feasibility  of  purchasing  our  parlor  furni 
ture  on  the  instalment  plan,  just  the  articles  that 
were  absolutely  necessary.  Somehow-  we  could 
hardly  resign  ourselves  to  the  idea  of  retiring  to  bed, 
every  thing  seemed  so  strange  and  unreal.  And 
long  afterward  my  brain  was  busy  wondering  how 
the  house,  and  all  we  desired  to  have  therein,  would 
ever  get  paid  for. 

We  left  Joe  to  keep  the  station  the  next  morning, 
while  we  set  off  in  search  of  adventures.  Matting 
we  found  was  comparatively  high,  it  being  early  in  the 
season  for  it ;  but  we  saw  some  very  pretty,  not  quite 
as  good  a  quality  as  I  preferred,  but  the  man  lowered 


IN  A  GARDEN  129 

his  price  in  consideration  of  our  taking  the  whole 
piece  and  a  remnant  besides,  as  we  needed  forty-eight 
yards.  That  came  to  fifteen  dollars  and  thirty-six 
cents.  Then  we  looked  at  furniture, — the  expensive, 
the  beautiful,  and  the  cheap.  We  found  one  man 
whose  stock  was  good,  and  reasonable  in  price, 
and  who  was  very  anxious  to  secure  a  customer, 
either  cash  or  on  instalment.  We  turned  into  a 
block  presently  where  there  were  four  auctioneer's 
flags  flying. 

"  Let  us  go  in,"  said  Eve.  "  Mrs.  Toodles  never 
wanted  a  bargain  any  more  than  we  do." 

They  were  selling  some  very  handsome  furniture 
in  the  first  place,  but  the  bidding  was  quite  above 
us.  We  watched  for  a  while,  and  then  went  out, 
regretting  our  inability  to  have  a  voice  in  the 
matter.  The  second  was  an  intensely  common 
establishment,  filled  mostly  with  Irish  women ;  and 
the  confusion  of  tongues  would  have  done  credit  to 
Babel.  The  next  was  quite  thinly  attended.  They 
were  selling  some  excellent  carpet  very  cheap.  Then 
two  suites  of  bedroom  furniture,  followed  by  a  hand 
some  dining-room  suite  in  walnut.  It  went  cheaply 
enough,  but  quite  above  us. 

Then  an  ash  table,  buffet,  six  chairs,  and  a  small 
side-table,  were  put  up.  People  seemed  languid. 
A  small,  Jewish-looking  man  started  it  at  twenty, 


130  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

which  the  auctioneer  scouted,  but  took  reluctantly. 
I  added  a  dollar,  so  did  he. 

"  Let  us  consider  how  high  we  can  go,  and  fix  our 
limit  resolutely,"  whispered  Eve. 

"Well?"  inquiringly.  "Do  you  like  it?  How 
high  will  you  go  ?  " 

"I  had  not  thought  of  ash,  nor  a  buffet;  —  bid 
again  while  I  consider." 

I  did,  rather  reluctantly  it  seemed.  The  Jew 
scanned  me  eagerly. 

"Thirty  dollars,"  concluded  Eve.  "It  is  all  we 
ought  to  spend.  The  man  is  a  second-hand  dealer." 

A  woman  put  in  the  next  bid,  then  the  Jew  again. 
The  two  had  another  bout.  Then  I  bid.  The 
woman  turned  away  in  disgust.  Two  or  three  people 
went  out.  Then  the  Jew  bid  half  a  dollar,  and  I 
followed  suit.  It  was  up  to  twenty-nine  dollars  and 
a  half;  and  we  half  turned,  for  we  knew  it  was  lost 
to  us.  The  Jew  was  watching  us  closely.  At  the 
last  moment  I  touched  my  limit. 

"  We  shall  not  get  it,"  I  said  in  a  whisper ;  and 
now  I  felt  disappointed. 

"Going,"  said  the  man  of  lungs,  —  "going,"  —  a 
long,  long  pause  of  alniost  breathless  silence, — 
"gone!" 

I  was  so  utterly  amazed  that  I  looked  question- 
ingly  at  the  Jew. 


IN  A   GARDEN  131 

"You  haf  a  goot  bargain.  I  buy  him  to  sell  again, 
and  cannot  give  so  mooch,"  shaking  his  head. 

Eve  and  I  glanced  at  each  other  in  a  curious 
manner. 

"  Well,  it  is  a  good  deal  for  the  money,"  said  she ; 
"  and  it  is  pretty  —  neat  and  solid-looking  —  yes,  I 
like  it.  Let  us  be  content." 

We  paid  for  it,  and  I  found  an  expressman  who 
took  it  to  the  station  for  seventy-five  cents.  On  our 
homeward  way  we  laughed  a  little,  and  felt  quite 
uncertain.  When  we  reached  Athens,  we  found  our 
other  furniture  had  come,  —  a  chamber  suite,  two 
extra  chairs  with  fine  rush  seats,  but  a  good  deal 
defaced,  and  two  packing-boxes. 

"  I  think  here  is  quite  a  large  bargain  also," 
laughed  Eve. 

About  four  o'clock  our  city  traps  came  up,  and  the 
load  was  moved  over  to  the  house.  In  all  it  made 
quite  a  show.  And  when  we  had  the  furniture  set 
out  in  the  dining-room,  it  looked  very  well  indeed. 
The  buffet,  though  simple,  was  very  pretty,  and  the 
chairs  excellent. 

"  Yes,  I  do  like  it,"  declared  Eve  positively.  "  It 
wants  cleaning  and  polishing,  and  it  furnishes 
admirably." 

I  thought  so  myself.  In  fact,  though  we  had  been 
rather  surprised  into  bargain-making,  we  were  not 


132  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

dissatisfied.  I  took  the  covers  off  the  boxes,  and  we 
had  a  good  laugh  over  the  contents.  There  were 
several  pieces  of  partly  worn  carpets,  a  pair  of 
blankets,  odds  and  ends  of  almost  every  kind,  some 
pieces  of  elegant  china  and  glass,  some  kitchen 
utensils,  a  pair  of  pillows,  shades,  brackets,  and  two 
or  three  pictures. 

"I  thought  the  stair-carpet  would  do  a  while,"  said 
Eve,  surveying  it  dubiously.  "  The  edges  are  good, 
and  we  can  have  the  middle  covered.  And  there 
will  be  enough  of  our  up-stairs  matting  for  the 
hall  —  until  we  get  rich,"  laughingly.  "  We  must 
believe  ourselves  at  Lake  George,  or  at  the  seaside, 
in  a  furnished  cottage,  and  it  will  look  all  right." 

The  next  day  we  put  the  matting  down  in  the 
parlor  and  dining-room.  The  latter  appeared  very 
pretty  and  summery.  The  piano  was  set  up;  and 
we  brought  in  the  odd  chairs,  and  looked  quite  at 
home. 

"  I  shall  not  have  a  parlor  suite  at  present,"  an 
nounced  Eve.  "  You  remember  those  lovely  Turkish 
lounges  in  French  cretonnes  for  ten  dollars,  —  I  want 
one  of  those  and  some  lounging-chairs,  cheap  folding 
ones,  and  no  end  of  rocking-chairs.  Those  things 
will  come  by  degrees.  Now  let  us  enjoy  ourselves, 
and  be  content." 

The  stair-carpet  looked  fairly  well  when   it  was 


I1ST   A  GAKDEN"  133 

down.  Two  breadths  of  matting  —  all  we  had — were 
put  somewhat  in  the  centre  of  the  hall-room.  The 
spaces  at  the  edges  were  to  be  painted  red.  Those  at 
the  hall-door  and  at  the  rear  were  quite  wide,  and  a 
rug  could  be  laid  in  both  places.  Two  of  the  Brus 
sels  remnants  we  had  purchased  in  the  fall,  harmo 
nized  admirably.  The  room  up-stairs  was  put  in 
order,  and  the  work  seemed  almost  done. 

"  So,  you  see,  we  will  not  need  to  run  in  debt,  after 
all,"  said  Eve  triumphantly.  "  Indeed,  the  furnish 
ing  has  come  much  more  easily  than  I  expected. 
And  Mrs.  West  will  be  pleasant  company  to  keep  me 
from  longing  after  the  delights  of  Egypt,  as  I  sojourn 
in  this  wilderness." 

That  night  Joe  said  to  me,  "  Thurston,  should  you 
mind  if  I  did  a  little  work  for  the  new  people  at  the 
building?  They  are  short-handed,  and  the  man  is 
hurrying  them  dreadfully.  They  offered  me  a  dollar 
and  a  half  a  day." 

"  Why,  no !  "  In  fact,  I  was  rather  pleased.  "  Do 
as  much  as  you  can  —  anywhere." 

"  It  is  so  strange  they  don't  send  up  for  me  !  "  and 
Joe  knit  his  brows  anxiously. 

"  Something  may  come  to  hand  presently,"  I  re 
turned,  in  a  more  hopeful  tone  than  I  really  felt.  I 
had  written  to  Jersey  City,  and  the  reply  was,  that 
Joe  Crawford  was  not  very  steady  or  reliable  ;  but 


134  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

when  the  rush  came  on,  and  they  were  short  of 
hands,  he  might  find  a  place.  Already  the  poor 
lad's  bad  habits  stood  in  his  way.  Yet  he  was  so 
willing  and  good-tempered,  ready  to  do  any  thing 
with  all  his  strength.  I  had  been  casting  about  to  see 
whether  I  could  keep  him  a  while  longer ;  but,  with 
all  I  had  on  my  hands,  I  could  not  pay  him  wages. 
He  had  taken  express  packages  the  last  week,  and 
earned  himself  a  new  hat ;  but  he  did  need  a  suit  of 
clothes. 

He,  it  seems,  was  thinking  of  the  same  thing.  "  If 
I  could  earn  a  suit  of  clothes,"  he  said.  "  I  could 
get  one  for  twelve  dollars.  And  I  could  do  a  good 
deal  for  you  nights  and  mornings." 

"  That's  good  of  you,  Joe." 

"  Well,  I  ought  to  make  up  my  board.  Oh,  I  wish 
I  could  stay  with  you  always,  Thurston !  I  never 
liked  any  one  half  as  well  as  you  and  Miss  Eve." 

She  was  playing  on.  the  piano,  and  we  went  in. 
Oh,  how  delightful  and  homelike  it  was  !  I  was  one 
great  throb  of  thankfulness.  My  cup  seemed  run 
ning  over ;  but  I  had  a  fear  that  it  was  too  fairy-like, 
and  would  vanish. 

Joe  was  up  at  five  the  next  morning,  and  delved 
away  in  the  garden  for  nearly  an  hour,  when  he 
insisted  that  he  should  go  down  to  the  station. 
Eve  made  biscuits :  we  had  radishes  and  fried  eggs, 


IN  A  GAKDEN  135 

that  were  done  in  a  manner  known  only  to  Eve, 
and  were  simply  delicious. 

"  I  have  bargained  for  four  more  hens,"  said  Eve. 
"  They  want  to  sit,  and  Mrs.  Banks  doesn't  want 
them.  The  way  she  does,  is  to  kill  them  off  as  soon 
as  they  begin  to  cluck.  She  was  going  to  sell  these 
to  the  butcher.  She  says  they  are  of  no  account  after 
you  let  them  sit  once,  as  they  only  lay  six  or  eight 
eggs,  and  then  want  to  sit  again.  But  she  says  a 
late  hatched  pullet  will  lay  all  summer  through.  I 
shall  treasure  up  all  these  bits  of  chicken-wisdom. 
And  that  reminds  me  that  I  ought  to  have  some 
young  chicks  to-day.  After  breakfast,  let  us  go  out 
and  see." 

Surely  enough !  In  one  nest  we  found  four,  and 
in  the  other  six.  What  lovely,  cunning  balls  of 
down  they  were  !  I  do  believe  Eve  kissed  the  one 
she  held  up  to  her  cheek.  Joe  had  made  two  coops 
of  lath ;  and  now  we  put  all  the  chickens  and  one 
hen  in  one,  on  the  floor  of  the  barn,  and  the  eggs 
under  the  other  hen.  We  brought  out  a  saucer  of 
water,  and  some  crumbs  of  bread ;  and  two  black- 
eyed  chicks  knew  by  intuition  that  eating  was  the 
great  business  of  life.  I  could  hardly  tear  myself 
away,  so  fascinating  were  the  little  midgets  in  white, 
yellow,  and  brown. 

"  To-night  Joe  or  you  must  go  after  my  new  hens. 


136  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

Mrs.  Montgomery  is  to  let  me  have  two  dozen  Brahma 
eggs,  and  Mrs.  Clark  a  dozen  Plymouth  Rock.  You 
see,  I  am  going  into  the  chicken  business  in  good 
earnest." 

"  I  wonder  what  next !  "  I  retorted  gayly. 

Joe  ran  up  home  to  breakfast,  and  then  went  off 
to  his  day's  labor.  They  were  digging  and  carting 
dirt,  and  laying  the  cellar-wall.  The  house  was  to 
be  quite  large,  much  on  the  plan  of  ours. 

Mrs.  Brower  and  Mrs.  West  came  over  about  noon, 
accompanied  by  a  large  trunk.  Mrs.  West  was  a 
pretty  little  woman,  with  a  soft,  wrinkled  face,  blue 
eyes,  and  silvery  hair  that  was  a  mass  of  natural 
waves  and  stray  ends,  and  just  the  sort  of  tender 
voice  that  one  would  expect.  She  kissed  Eve,  and 
called  her  "  My  dear ;  "  and  the  ladies  walked  up 
together.  Eve  had  her  dainty  luncheon  almost 
prepared.  The  weather  was  still  chilly,  and  we  kept 
just  enough  fire  in  the  heater  to  diffuse  a  comfortable 
warmth.  Mrs.  West  was  delighted  with  the  appear 
ance  of  the  house,  and  Mrs.  Brower  admired  every 
thing  in  an  almost  effusive  manner.  Her  pretty 
enthusiasms  were  not  really  insincere,  but  they 
evinced  no  discrimination  whatever.  She  was  just 
as  content  in  the  thought  of  going  out  to  Greece,  as 
if  it  was  a  fortune  left  to  her,  and  quite  certain  that 
Mr.  Brower  would  prosper.  A  happy  aisposition 


IN   A   GARDEN  137 

perhaps,  but  one  that  was  never  weighted  with  eare 
or  trouble. 

In  the  afternoon  she  returned,  and  at  supper-time 
I  found  Mrs.  West  and  Eve  as  cosey  as  possible.  She 
had,  from  her  husband's  estate,  an  annuity  of  about 
seven  hundred  a  year,  the  rest  having  been  spent  by 
her  children  long  before ;  but  she  was  so  content  and 
sweet,  so  simple  in  her  tastes,  that  it  seemed  a 
fortune. 

"  It  is  all  settled,  just  what  we  are  to  do,"  said  Eve, 
as  we  were  walking  down  to  Mrs.  Banks's,  who  was 
our  colored  washerwoman,  but  an  extremely  nice 
body.  "  Mrs.  West  isn't  coming  down  to  breakfast. 
She  likes  a  cup  of  coffee,  an  egg  and  some  toast, 
about  nine  o'clock ;  and  that  will  be  taken  to  her 
room.  Then,  she  prefers  her  heartiest  meal  in  the 
middle  of  the  day,  which  seems  to  be  our  habit  just 
now.  She  is  extravagantly  fond  of  reading,  so  our 
books  from  the  library  will  come  in  play.  There 
certainly  will  be  no  trouble  about  entertaining  her. 
It  seems  to  me  that  I  shall  pay  this  debt  easily." 

"  And  the  handmaiden  you  spoke  of  ?  "  I  inquired. 

"  Oh  !  that  is  Letty  Banks.  She  wants  to  take 
lessons  on  the  melodeon,  as  they  have  a  very  fair 
one,  and  she  wondered  if  she  could  not  come  and 
work  it  out.  So,  you  see,  other  people  understand 
'  barter,'  as  you  call  it ;  "  and  Eve  laughed.  "  She 


138  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

will  come  to  wash  my  dishes  every  evening,  and  all 
day  Saturday ;  and  I  am  to  give  her  two  lessons  a 
week." 

"  You  certainly  are  brilliant  in  managing." 

Eve  laughed  gayly. 

Mrs.  Banks  received  us  in  a  quiet,  pleasant 
manner,  took  me  out  to  the  hen-house,  and  the  cap 
tured  hens  were  too  sleepy  to  say  a  word.  I  packed 
them  in  my  basket,  and  tied  down  the  cover.  Letty, 
bright-eyed  and  trim,  about  fifteen  years  old,  had  a 
little  talk  with  Eve  while  we  were  gone.  After 
vacation  commenced,  she  would  be  willing  to  come 
regularly.  Now  she  was  going  to  school. 

We  took  our  hens  home  without  any  misadventure. 
Joe  had  made  nests  for  them  in  a  dark  corner,  and 
Mrs.  Banks  told  us  to  keep  them  shut  in  for  the 
first  two  days.  We  put  in  the  eggs  and  the  hens, 
and  left  them  to  settle  themselves.  Our  other 
mother  had  eleven  little  chicks,  but  we  concluded 
that  she  had  better  remain  where  she  was  for  the 
night.  Joe  had  gone  down  to  the  station  for  the 
nine-o'clock  train,  pretty  well  tired  with  his  day's 
work,  but  very  cheerful. 

The  weather  was  lovely  the  ensuing  week.  Gar 
dening  began  in  good  earnest.  The  fruit-trees  dis 
played  a  wealth  of  bloom :  lilacs  scented  the  air,  that 
was  sweet  already  with  the  varied  fragrance  of 


IN  A  GAEDEN  139 

spring.  The  little  belts  and  clumps  of  wood  the 
hand  of  improvement  had  left  standing,  put  on  their 
bravest  greenery.  I  never  tired  of  studying  them ; 
and  it  seemed  as  if  I  had  never  understood  before, 
how  beautiful  the  world  was.  Surely,  one  would  go 
far,  to  find  a  lovelier  place  than  Athens. 

By  Saturday  night,  Joe  had  four  dollars  and  a 
half  for  his  three  days'  work,  and  another  dollar  for 
delivering  parcels.  He  handed  it  over  to  Eve,  with 
the  utmost  pride,  declaring  that  she  must  be  his 
banker.  As  we  were  walking  down  to  the  station, 
he  said,  — 

"  Thurston,  they  had  some  lager  at  the  building  to 
day.  One  of  the  men  treated." 

"Did  he  treat  you?"  I  asked  quietly,  but  with 
inward  fear. 

"  No :  I  kept  my  word.  You  know,  I  was  to 
report  every  week  how  it  fared  with  me.  It 
wasn't  as  hard  to  refuse  as  I  thought ;  but  I  was 
thirsty,  and  I  went  up  to  the  house  for  some  water. 
Miss  Eve  gave  me  some  splendid  cold  tea,  about 
half  milk;  and  then  I  didn't  seem  to  care  for  the 
lager." 

"  I  hope  I  shall  hear  just  as  good  an  account  of  you 
every  week,  my  dear  Joe ; "  and  I  put  my  arm  over  his 
shoulder.  "  I  know  you  can,  but  there  will  be  some 
hard  times." 


140  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND   EVE 

"I  don't  mean  ever  to  drink  again.  I  ought  to 
help  myself,  when  you  and  Miss  Eve  are  so  ready 
with  your  kindness  and  sympathy." 

Eve  did  not  go  to  choir-practice  that  evening.  I 
found  her  playing  and  singing  to  Mrs.  West ;  but 
I  had  hardly  settled  myself,  when  Pryor  made  his 
appearance  with  a  small  parcel. 

"  There  are  a  dozen  white  Leghorn  eggs,"  said  he, 
laying  it  carefully  down  on  the  table.  "  I  used  some 
strategy  to  get  them.  Vanduyne  is  still  selling  eggs 
at  a  dollar  and  a  half  a  dozen." 

"  I  hope  you  didn't  give  that ; "  and  there  was  a 
touch  of  remonstrance  in  Eve's  voice,  as  she  wheeled 
round  on  the  piano-stool. 

"  No,  no.  Set  your  heart  at  rest.  I  told  Van 
duyne  I  was  going  to  bring  you  up  next  week.  What 
day  can  you  go  ?  It  is  a  sight,  truly,  and  you  will  be 
amazed." 

"  I  have  no  hen,"  said  Eve,  glancing  at  the  parcel, 
and  not  heeding  his  query. 

"  Beg  or  borrow  one,  then.  These  are  too  valu 
able  to  have  for  breakfast.  Now  please  reward  me 
with  a  song.  They  missed  you  at  church." 

"  I  am  so  much  farther  away  now." 

"But  I  hope  that  is  not  going  to  keep  you  at 
home?" 

Eve  turned  over  some  songs,  and  we  three  sang 


IN  A  GAKDEN  141 

together.  At  ten  Mrs.  West  quietly  withdrew,  and 
presently  Eve  stopped  playing. 

"  I  suppose  I  must  be  going,"  began  Pryor  regret 
fully.  "It  doesn't  seem  half  as  gay  and  cosey  as 
when  you  were  at  the  station.  I  suppose  I  ought  to 
suffer  for  having  persuaded  you  to  buy  a(  house." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Eve  piquantly.  "  And  now  you 
compel  me  to  buy  a  hen.  Where  all  this  extrava 
gance  will  end,  the  future  only  can  tell." 

Pryor  rose.  He  was  in  the  mood  when  he  longed 
for  a  word  or  a  look  to  persuade  him  to  stay ;  but 
Eve  was  dignified,  and  I  had  promised  to  play  watch 
ful  dragon. 

"Good-night,"  lingeringly.  "I  shall  be  so  glad 
when  it  is  warm  enough  to  sit  out  of  doors." 

"  Good-night,"  we  said  in  a  breath. 

We  all  went  to  church  in  the  morning,  except  Joe. 
Mrs.  West  enjoyed  it  very  much.  In  the  afternoon 
we  took  Joe  with  us,  and  rambled  through  the  woods, 
bringing  home  an  armful  of  wild-flowers. 

I  found  the  next  week,  as  I  surveyed  my  garden, 
that  I  had  some  things  planted  pretty  well  in  the 
shade.  I  had  hardly  supposed  the  trees  could  reach 
so  far.  But  there  was  still  quite  a  large  space  over 
at  the  back.  I  put  in  more  sweet  corn  and  some 
for  the  chickens,  then  squash  and  pop-corn.  Already 
I  found  weeds  were  beginning  to  grow  apace,  and  I 


142  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

realized  that  eternal  vigilance  was  the  price  of  many 
things  besides  liberty.  Still,  I  did  enjoy  the  work. 
A  garden,  I  learned,  always  offered  fresh  entertain 
ment,  and  Eve's  two  families  of  chickens  were  our 
delight. 

On  Wednesday  morning,  Pryor  drove  up  to  the 
station  in  a  two-seat  wagon,  and  insisted  that  we 
should  go  at  once  for  Eve.  He  had  bargained  with 
Joe  the  evening  before  to  keep  the  station  while  we 
were  away.  He  had  to  "see  a  man,"  and  would 
leave  us  at  Vanduyne's,  while  he  was  doing  some 
business. 

Mrs.  West  insisted  that  Eve  should  go.  She  was 
not  timid  about  staying  alone,  as  there  were  workmen 
on  the  building  next  door. 

It  was  a  perfect  day,  and  birds  were  singing  their 
love-ditties  in  a  maddening  manner.  Could  it  be 
possible  that  the  bleak  and  bare  world  of  a  brief 
while  ago  was  smiling  in  richness  and  bloom? 
Surely,  this  in  itself  was  a  miracle.  And,  oh,  the 
long  wafts  of  sweetness  !  Would  I  go  down  to  the 
sand  and  the  glare  of  the  great  beach,  and  live  in 
the  hurrying  rush  for  the  little  difference  in  money  ? 
It  seemed  as  if  I  should  never  love  a  city  again. 

I  had  seen  chicken-farms  at  the  West,  larger  in 
extent  and  numbers  than  this  place  of  Mr.  Van 
duyne's,  but  nothing  in  such  perfect  order.  It  was 


IN  A  GARDEN  143 

like  turning  the  pages  of  an  illustrated  poultry-book. 
The  owner  was  a  fair,  still  delicate-looking  man  of 
six  or  eight  and  thirty,  very  affable  in  manner,  and 
with  a  trained  voice,  that  bespoke  familiarity  with 
the  world  of  society  as  well.  He  received  us 
courteously,  and,  as  he  was  not  especially  busy, 
attended  us  himself  through  the  different  depart 
ments.  Every  thing  was  arranged  as  compactly  as 
possible,  and  in  a  manner  to  save  time  as  well  as  to 
prevent  waste.  There  were  three  large  houses  of 
young  chickens,  old  enough  to  be  without  mothers : 
there  were  broods  with  hens,  broods  with  artificial 
mothers,  and  one  incubator  was  still  full  of  eggs. 
There  were  young  chickens  being  prepared  for 
market :  there  was  a  house  with  all  the  appliances  for 
packing  eggs  in  large  or  small  quantities,  and  it 
seemed  then  as  if  it  was  half  full  at  least.  Every 
kind  was  labelled ;  but,  on  a  close  inspection,  even  an 
unpractised  eye  could  detect  the  difference  in  shape 
and  color.  Then,  of  the  same  kind,  there  were  three 
sizes, — large,  medium,  and  small.  Evidently  Mr. 
Vanduyne  had  not  reached  the  secret  of  compelling 
every  hen  to  lay  a  large  egg. 

As  for  the  show-pens,  they  were  truly  marvellous. 
I  never  saw  any  thing  more  nearly  perfect.  Every 
feather  was  as  true  as  if  it  had  been  painted  on  the 
fowl.  But  the  clouds  of  white  Leghorns  were  like 


144  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

snowdrifts.  The  brilliant  red  of  comb  and  wattles, 
the  rich  yellow  of  their  legs,  made  them  dazzling. 
They  really  seemed  to  know  they  were  handsome,  and 
to  enjoy  it.  There  were  immense  Brahmas,  snowy 
white  as  well ;  others  with  their  beautifully  pencilled 
collars  and  tails,  and  dark  ones  that  were  not  less 
striking.  There  were  all  kinds  of  fancy  breeds  and 
magnificent  games,  down  to  tiny  Seabrights  not 
much  larger  than  birds.  One  could  have  studied 
them  for  a  week. 

It  was  as  Pryor  said,  —  Mr.  Vanduyne  gave  away 
no  hints,  or  bits  of  knowledge.  Eve  was  at  her  best 
and  brightest,  and  did  surprise  him  into  several 
admissions ;  but  he  soon  covered  them  with  a  doubt. 
He  could  keep  his  hens  laying  all  winter :  he  could 
raise  hundreds  of  chickens  without  getting  disease 
among  them,  and  he  evidently  was  making  it  pay. 
But  he  laughed  satirically  at  most  of  the  methods  in 
vogue,  and  was  doubtful  of  the  success  of  ordinary 
people  in  the  attempt  to  make  it  profitable. 

Pryor  was  gone  less  than  half  an  hour;  and  I 
began  to  feel  that  we  must  not  trespass  upon  Mr. 
Vanduyne's  time,  and  neither  must  I  waste  my  own. 
We  had  already  consumed  nearly  two  hours.  So  we 
expressed  our  obligations,  and  he  cordially  invited 
us  to  come  up  again. 

"  Well,"  began  Pryor,  when  we  were  seated  in  the 


IN  A  GARDEN  145 

wagon,  "  were  you  paid  for  your  trouble  ?  Have 
you  learned  any  thing,  Miss  Thurston  ?  I  was  very 
glad  you  never  suggested  the  ownership  of  a  hen,  or 
he  would  have  drawn  into  his  shell  at  once." 

"  It  is  all  very  elegant,"  replied  Eve.  "  It  has 
taken  time  and  money  to  perfect  all  this,  and  is  like 
the  wonderful  fruit-farms.  But  sometimes  a  peach 
or  a  pear  off  your  own  tree  may  have  as  fine  a  flavor, 
and  one  of  your  own  hens  may  lay  as  fresh  an  egg 
for  your  breakfast.  I  picked  up  a  few  words  of 
wisdom,"  and  she  laughed.  "  You  see,  every  thing 
that  is  not  perfect  is  taken  out  of  the  choice  flocks, 
so  their  faults  and  failings  are  not  propagated. 
But,  after  all,  some  old  woman  summed  it  up :  'A 
good  hen  ought  to  lay  twelve  dozen  eggs  a  year ;  and 
at  twenty-five  cents  a  dozen,  she  earns  three  dollars, 
and  eats  up  one.'  Now,  the  profit  is,  making  her 
eggs  bring  in  more  than  three  dollars ;  and  keeping 
her  good  and  warm  in  the  winter  —  hot  food,  with 
pepper  and  spices ;  plenty  of  fresh  warm  water ; 
when  she  cannot  find  worms  or  bugs,  give  her  some 
meat." 

"  You  have  it  quite  down  to  a  business  point, 
Miss  Thurston,"  Pryor  said  with  admiration,  as  well 
as  amusement. 

"  I  strive  to  bring  every  thing  to  a  business  point," 
she  replied  sententiously.  "  I  have  started  out  to  be 


146  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

a  business  woman,  and  to  make  the  eight  hundred 
dollars  that  I  am  justly  entitled  to." 

"  Eight  hundred  ?     Why  just  eight  hundred  ?  " 

Eve  laughed  merrily.  How  pretty  and  dainty 
and  bewitching  she  looked,  though  I  had  remarked 
of  late  she  had  not  put  on  her  sweetest  ways  for 
Gordon  Pryor. 

We  explained  about  the  money. 

"  See  here,  Miss  Eve  ;  wouldn't  it  be  a  stupendous 
joke  if  every  man  and  woman  should  set  out  to  get 
his  and  her  share,  and  the  children  as  they  grew  up  ? 
By  Jove  !  what  would  become  of  the  millionnaires  ? 
You  certainly  have  discovered  the  great  panacea, 
the  secret  of  equalizing  the  crooked  and  unjust 
things  of  this  world." 

We  all  laughed. 


A  GARDEN  147 


CHAPTER   IX 

A   PASTORAL   IN    HENS 

JOE  added  six  dollars  to  his  store  the  next  week. 
He  wanted  his  clothes  so  badly,  that  Eve  proposed 
to  lend  him  the  rest ;  and  we  went  down  to  North- 
wood,  wliile  she  kept  station  with  a  big  boy  at  hand. 
Through  the  winter  she  had  added  to  her  other 
accomplishments  the  train-signals,  and  quite  a 
knowledge  of  telegraphy,  and  could  manage  very 
well;  though,  when  I  had  occasion  to  leave  her,  I 
always  made  certain  that  Frank  Barr  would  be 
about.  He  soon  became  one  of  Eve's  devoted 
admirers,  and  I  think  she  wilfully  encouraged  him. 
I  know  there  were  times  when  Pryor  wanted  to  kick 
him,  out  of  pure  jealousy  that  a  smile  should  be 
wasted  on  a  cub  of  thirteen. 

I  never  saw  a  happier  lad  than  Joe  this  morning. 
He  seemed  bubbling  over  with  a  wholesome,  grate 
ful  joy.  We  found  a  very  nice  business-suit  for 
fourteen  dollars,  and  his  shoes  were  three  and  a  half 
more.  It  left  him  just  five  dollars  in  my  debt.  We 
went  into  the  library  to  change  some  books,  and  then 


148  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

sauntered  up  the  busy  street,  somewhat  disfigured, 
I  must  own,  by  saloons.  The  blind-door  of  one 
opened,  and  a  young  lad  not  more  than  eighteen 
staggered  out.  I  saw  a  hot  flush  go  over  Joe's  face  : 
then  suddenly  he  broke  away  from  me,  and  threw 
his  arm  over  the  shoulder  of  the  boy.  I  walked  on 
slowly.  Perhaps  the  good  seed  had  taken  root 
when  Joe  desired  to  save  some  one  else. 

"  I  couldn't  help  it !  "  he  exclaimed,  as  he  rejoined 
me,  his  eyes  full  of  tears.  "I  thought  of  the 
wretched  object  that  I  was  when  I  came  to  you, 
and  how  good  you  were  ;  and  I  wanted  to  say  a 
word.  He  has  a  mother  and  two  sisters  —  oh,  why 
must  he  break  their  hearts  !  —  and  he  told  me  where 
he  lived,  — 19  Cross  Street.  Maybe  it  isn't  true. 
Oh,  why  can't  they  shut  up  these  dens  and  holes 
that  drag  boys  and  men  down  to  destruction !  " 

Why  not,  some  of  them  at  least  ?  I  counted  five 
on  one  side  of  the  block,  four  on  the  other.  Two 
or  three  young  men  dropped  into  one,  even  as  I 
counted.  If  they  cannot  be  strong  for  themselves, 
has  Government  no  duty  towards  its  citizens  ? 

Eve  declared  herself  very  proud  of  Joe  in  his 
new  clothes.  He  went  to  church  with  us  on  Sunday, 
though  he  insisted  on  sitting  in  a  far-back  seat. 
Now,  why  should  not  some  one  take  him  by  the  hand 
in  a  friendly  manner?  I  had  begun  to  like  Mr. 


IN  A   GAKDEN  149 

Bradford  a  good  deal,  in  some  sermons ;  but  it 
seemed  to  me  that  he  took  himself  and  his  religion 
too  far  off,  and,  when  he  called  you  to  follow,  he  was 
out  of  sight.  If  you  could  walk  side  by  side  ;  if  you 
could  feel  and  believe  that  it  was  not  the  system 
that  was  so  dear,  but  the  human  soul  it  might  snatch 
from  the  ways  of  destruction ! 

One  of  the  sweetest  and  bravest  things  was  Eve 
walking  right  over  to  Joe  when  church  was  out,  and 
taking  him  under  her  protection  by  the  cordial  smile 
and  inclination  of  her  head.  There  were  three  or 
four  others,  and  no  end  of  girls :  and  Joe,  blushing 
like  a  peony,  fell  back  to  me;  but  she  had  given 
him  that  fine,  brave  recognition  before  them  all. 

"  Will  you  be  surprised  to  hear  that  my  painting- 
class  is  an  absolute  fact  ?  "  Eve  inquired,  a  few  even 
ings  later,  as  we  sat  at  the  supper-table.  "Josie 
Morrison  was  in  here  an  hour  ago,  and  the  last  girl 
has  joined.  They  are  to  begin  the  first  week  in 
June,  and  come  every  Tuesday  and  Thursday  after 
noon.  I  shall  transform  this  room  into  a  studio,  and 
range  my  girls  around  the  dining-table.  Just  fancy 
me!" 

"  My  dear,"  said  Mrs.  West,  who  had  succumbed 
entirely  to  Eve's  fascinations,  "how  can  you  find 
time  for  so  many  things?  You  will  work  yourself 
to  death." 


150  A  MODEEN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

Eve  laughed  gayly.  "  Why,  do  you  know  that 
I  thrive  upon  it !  I  am  absolutely  getting  fat,  and  I 
never  was  better  in  my  life.  But "  —  retrospectively 
—  "I  don't  know  that  I  am  much  busier  than  I  used 
to  be,  only  it  is  different.  Why,  some  days  I  have 
run  half  over  town,  made  dozens  of  calls,  gone  to  a 
"  tea,"  to  the  theatre,  and  then  to  a  dancing-party, 
and  come  home  two  o'clock  at  night,  aching  in  every 
joint,  and  by  ten  the  next  morning  started  on 
another  round.  I  don't  work  half  as  hard ;  and  there 
is  not  the  awful  rush  and  worry,  and  wonder  as  to 
how  you  will  get  gloves  and  ribbons  and  gowns, 
and  running  all  over  to  find  cheap  goods  —  no,  I 
mean  elegant  goods  —  for  a  little  money.  Why,  I 
think  it  idiotic  ! "  and  Eve  straightens  herself  up. 
"It  makes  me  laugh,  from  its  sheer  ridiculousness. 
Fashionable  girls  have  to  work  very  hard  when  they 
are  poor,  and  want  to  seem  rich." 

"  And  you  know  how  to  do  so  many  things ! 
Where  did  you  learn  them?  What  a  treasure  you 
will  be  to  your  husband ! "  and  the  sweet  old  face  is 
solid  admiration. 

"  That  depends  —  on  the  kind  of  husband.  I  have 
resolved  that  I  will  never  make  believe  rich  for 
any  man's  sake ;  and  I  cannot  help  thinking  that  a 
great  many  men  are  just  as  fond  of  appearances  as 
women  are  said  to  be.  They  would  not  be  willing  to 


IN  A  GAKDEN  151 

-keep  house  in  two  rooms,  —  except  Adam,  here,"  and 
she  nods  at  me ;  "  and  that  heroic  virtue  is  due  to 
my  training.  If  we  had  not  lived  over  a  railroad 
station,  we  might  never  have  owned  a  house.  And 
how  many  young  husbands  would  like  to  admit  their 
wives  did  not  keep  a  servant  ?  It  is  about  an  even 
thing,  dear  Mrs.  West,  though  we  women  do  get  the 
blame." 

"  I  do  not  believe  you  will  go  begging  for  a  husband 
of  the  right  kind." 

"  Well,  they  are  scarce ; "  and  Eve  drew  her  rosy 
lips  down  solemnly. 

She  had  found  time,  with  all  her  other  work,  to  do 
some  parlor  ornamentation.  We  had  framed  several 
pictures,  and  made  a  pretty  standing  frame,  or  almost 
easel,  for  a  plaque  that  had  been  given  Eve  a  year  or 
so  before,  and  was  a  very  good  painting.  This  was 
done  up  in  ebonizing  and  gold  paint.  Then  we  had 
invested  in  a  steamer  chair,  which  she  cushioned  with 
satine,  and  tied  with  bright  ribbons,  and  made  a 
very  attractive  parlor  reclining-chair.  We  had  plans 
innumerable  for  tables,  easels,  and  bookcases.  There 
did  not  seem  any  time  to  get  at  them,  what  with 
the  garden,  the  chickens,  and  daily  duties. 

I  bought  some  cheap  odd  lengths  of  lumber,  some 
lath  and  chicken-wire,  and  remodelled  my  hen-house 
and  yard.  From  our  first  eggs  we  had  hatched 


152  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

twenty-three  chickens,  and  lost  one.  We  put  them 
in  the  loft  of  the  barn,  tying  the  hens  in  corners  so 
there  should  be  no  unnecessary  jarring.  The  chicks 
grew  apace.  They  were  all  kinds,  —  odd  lots.  We 
fed  them  table-scraps,  scalded  meal,  and  cracked 
corn,  as  soon  as  they  were  able  to  eat  that.  I  kept  a 
supply  of  gravel  and  bits  of  grass-roots :  they  had 
plenty  of  sunshine,  and  throve  finely.  Of  our  two 
dozen  Brahma  eggs,  we  only  hatched  twenty-one 
chickens.  Our  next  hen  brought  off  nine,  which 
we  divided  between  the  other  mothers,  and  set  her 
again,  on  some  white  Leghorn  eggs  from  a  neighbor. 
A  few  days  later,  another  hen  came  off  with  nine, 
when  we  placed  the  new  eggs  under  her,  and  let  the 
other  have  the  chickens.  If  she  was  surprised,  she 
said  nothing,  but  went  on  with  the  pertinacity  of  a 
hen.  Eve  was  quite  wild  over  her  little  flock. 

Certainly,  the  place  began  to  look  like  a  veritable, 
garden  of  Eden.  I  wondered  now  how  it  could  have 
stood  empty  so  long,  and  I  began  to  feel  afraid  some 
untoward  accident  would  deprive  me  of  it.  The 
vines  were  reduced  to  order,  —  honeysuckle,  wistaria, 
and  Virginia  creeper.  The  trees  bloomed  magnifi 
cently,  but  two  of  my  pear-trees  showed  signs  of 
decay.  One  blossomed  but  never  leaved  out,  and  I 
cut  it  down.  The  other  was  very  scrubby,  and, 
later  in  the  season,  showed  indications  of  pear-blight ; 


IN   A  GARDEN  153 

so  that  wended  its  way  to  the  woodshed.  Certainly, 
I  would  not  have  to  buy  kindling-wood  very  soon. 

Joe  worked  on  our  next-door  building  a  good 
deal,  though  he  insisted  that  a  certain  amount  of 
labor  was  due  me  for  board.  He  paid  his  debts, 
and  replenished  his  wardrobe ;  and  a  prouder  lad 
I  never  saw.  His  thin  figure  filled  out,  and  took  on 
the  ruddiness  of  health  :  he  was  bright  and  cheerful, 
and  I  began  to  feel  that  he  might  yet  make  a  man  of 
himself. 

With  a  little  training  and  oversight,  our  young 
handmaiden  did  very  well.  She  came  about  four; 
washed  up  the  dinner-dishes  for  Eve,  prepared  sup 
per,  often  doing  some  sweeping  and  cleaning,  in 
between.  After  the  supper-dishes  were  washed,  she 
practised  half  an  hour,  for  visitors  rarely  came  that 
early ;  and  sometimes  she  remained  an  hour  or 
two. 

Mrs.  West  we  found  the  perfection  of  boarders. 
She  certainly  was  one  of  the  loveliest  of  old  ladies. 
Pryor  hit  upon  a  delightful  scheme.  He  purchased 
a  horse,  and  took  a  carriage  from  a  friend  who  had 
no  use  for  it,  and  invited  the  ladies  to  drive  out  with 
him.  Eve  was  charming,  frank,  sisterly,  but  always 
showing  that  matrimony  was  a  long  way  off  in  her 
plans.  Couldn't  Pryor  see  ? 

If    April   was   delightful,   May   was    enchanting. 


154  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

The  fragrant  air,  the  fields  and  woods  abloom,  the 
gardens  with  their  tidy  paths  —  even  the  fields  of 
weeds  look  lovely  now  in  their  soft  greens.  My 
two  long  rows  of  blackberry  bushes  came  out  in  a 
perfect  snow  of  blossoms,  and  I  resolutely  kept  the 
paths  clean.  I  had  to  go  over  my  raspberries  again, 
and  trim  out  many  more  dead  branches ;  but  there 
would  be  enough. 

Our  first-fruits  were  radishes  and  rhubarb,  —  the 
lovely  thick  stalks  in  a  coat  of  beautiful  red.  We 
had  sauce  and  pies,  and  the  latter  were  simply  deli 
cious.  Eve  could  make  a  pie  with  an  under  crust  as 
light  and  flaky  as  a  cream  biscuit. 

Our  choice  Leghorn  eggs  brought  out  ten  cunning 
chicks,  and  we  changed  hens  again.  One  other  one 
brought  out  the  whole  twelve,  —  the  first  hen  that 
had  done  so  well.  We  had  now  eighty-four  chickens, 
but  Eve  declared  that  she  should  not  stop  short  of 
one  hundred. 

"  But  what  will  you  do  with  them  all  ?  "  I  asked 
in  amazement. 

"  Broilers,"  replied  Eve,  with  a  droll  smile.  "  And 
now  eggs  are  only  twenty  cents  a  dozen.  They  are 
quite  cheap  enough  to  transform  into  chickens.  I 
came  across  some  funny  Houdans  the  other  day ;  and 
the  woman  has  promised  to  save  me  some  eggs,  and 
lend  me  a  hen." 


IN  A  GARDEN  155 

"You  will  have  the  ranch  presently.  But  we 
must  not  overcrowd." 

Everybody  had  predicted  that  we  would  find 
them  so  troublesome ;  but  thus  far  they  had  not 
interfered  with  my  garden.  They  had  the  barn-yard 
enlarged  considerably ;  and  I  threw  into  it  pea-pods 
and  plantain,  which  I  soon  found  they  were  very 
fond  of.  I  made  a  covered  run  for  rainy  weather,  by 
stretching  some  cheap  unbleached  muslin  over  a 
framework,  and  covering  it  liberally  with  linseed-oil. 
It  kept  the  runs  light  and  dry,  and  answered  admir 
ably.  We  gave  them  red  pepper,  kept  a  little  iron 
in  their  drinking-basins,  and  used  the  utmost  cleanli 
ness.  The  refuse  I  showered  on  my  garden  as  a 
top  dressing. 

Mr.  Montgomery  seemed  rather  resentful  that  I 
had  not  "  seeded  down  "  the  whole  thing.  "  I'd  get 
tired  enough  before  I  was  through ;  and  as  for 
chickens,  they  always  ate  their  heads  off.  Women 
folks  were  continually  fussing  about  them;  and  it 
would  be  cheaper  to  buy  all  the  eggs  his  family  used, 
than  have  them  about."  He  was  quite  interested  in 
selling  off  some  of  his  property,  now  that  a  new 
house  was  being  built  in  his  vicinity,  and,  as  a 
preparatory  step,  put  up  all  his  prices. 

I  liked  what  I  saw  of  Mr.  Wilbur ;  and  one  day 
his  wife  came  up  and  paid  Eve  quite  a  visit,  staying 


156  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

to  lunch.  They  compared  notes  about  cities  and 
theatres  and  summer  resorts,  and  found  they  had 
some  mutual  acquaintances.  The  house  was  being 
pushed  rapidly.  It  would  not  be  completely  finished 
before  another  season,  but  Mrs.  Wilbur  wanted  to 
bring  her  family  out  by  the  middle  of  July. 

As  for  ourselves,  we  did  not  suffer  from  dearth  of 
friends.  There  were  many  nice  people  in  Athens, 
but  they  wanted  shaking  up.  They  had  settled  into 
dreamy  grooves.  They  looked  too  much  through  the 
eye  of  faith,  but  they  saw  only  the  evidence  of  things 
in  the  far  distance ;  and  though  they  might  be  hoped 
for,  there  was  no  real  substance  to  them.  But  when 
Athens  was  so  beautiful,  healthful,  too,  in  all  the 
higher  parts,  why  should  it  not  be  prosperous? 
Why  should  not  people  come  here  as  well  as  to  go  to 
places  that  had  not  half  its  attractions  ? 

"Lots  of  boarders  go  up  to  Truro,"  said  Pryor. 
"  There  is  a  hotel,  besides  two  large  boarding-houses. 
To  my  mind,  it  is  not  half  as  attractive  as  this ;  but 
they  do  have  good  times,  —  dancing-parties,  moon 
light-drives,  and  all  that.  This  place  is  so  stupid, 
so  inert !  though  I  do  think  your  sister  will  manage 
to  infuse  a  little  life  if  any  one  can." 

One  evening  not  long  after  this,  we  had  an  influx. 
It  was  a  moonlight  night  and  very  warm.  Ruth  and 
Dan  Montgomery  came  first.  Ruth  had  taken  a 


IN  A   GARDEN  157 

great  liking  to  my  darling  Eve.  Then  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Morrison,  the  Corwins,  Pryor,  and  after  this  about 
half  a  dozen  young  people,  —  girls  who  were  to  be 
in  the  painting-class,  and  their  brothers.  It  was 
absolutely  funny  when  they  came  in.  Eve  was 
equal  to  the  occasion.  She  set  them  to  acting- 
proverbs,  and  we  had  a  good  deal  of  amusement. 
Then  she  played,  and  actually  made  them  all  sing. 
As  soon  as  the  first  bashfulness  was  worn  off, 
we  had  quite  a  concert.  Everybody  enjoyed  it 
immensely.  Then  they  all  wondered  that  there 
were  so  few  good  times  at  Athens,  —  so  little  fun,  as 
some  one  phrased  it ;  and  the  affair  ended  by  the 
party  being  invited  to  Mrs.  Morrison's  the  next 
week.  Eve  promised  to  go. 

"You  do  manage  to  make  the  most  pleasure  out  of 
every  thing,"  said  Pryor  admiringly,  as  he  lingered 
on  the  porch. 

"  Perhaps  it  is  because  I  have  been  brought  up  to 
pleasure,"  returned  Eve  with  a  laugh.  "  It  does  not 
answer  for  you  to  be  dull  in  a  city,  or  you  would 
be  dropped  out  without  any  mercy.  You  must  bring 
your  share  of  wit  and  entertainment  to  the  picnic." 

* "  Still,  I  do  not  believe  there  is  another  girl  in  the 
whole  wide  world  like  you,  Miss  Thurston." 

We  watched  him  down  the  path.  "  I  wish  he 
didn't  care  quite  so  much,"  I  said. 


158  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

u  I  try  to  be  careful.  I  have  never  given  him  that 
kind  of  encouragement.  Adam,"  and  her  voice  was 
suddenly  inspirited,  "  I  mean  to  have  a  diversion.  I 
shall  train  Ruth  Montgomery  to  catch  him.  She  is 
pretty  and  sweet-tempered,  and  could  be  a  bright, 
entertaining  girl.  It  will  give  me  something  to  do." 

"  You  idle  girl !  "  I  cried  laughingly. 

"  It  was  very  pleasant,"  said  Mrs.  West.  "  See  how 
much  I  have  gone  past  my  usual  hour.  My  dear,  you 
are  a  marvel." 

"If  I'd  had. cake  enough  to  go  around,"  said  Eve 
dolorously,  "or  lemons  to  make  lemonade,  or  figs, 
or  nuts,  or  cream,  consequently  we  had  to  season  it 
with  our  wits.  .  Quite  a  surprise  party  !  " 

We  put  out  the  lights,  and  went  to  bed. 

And  what  shall  I  say  for  June  ?  The  world  was 
full  of  flowers,  the  air  was  fragrance  that  stole  into 
one's  very  soul.  Such  skies,  such  views,  such  pic 
tures,  everywhere :  such  a  heavenly  completeness, 
that  my  heart  went  up  in  gratitude  continually.  Was 
it  from  the  glad  consciousness  that  sometime  I  might 
really  be  the  owner  of  this  bit  of  land,  and  this 
house,  growing  prettier  to  my  eyes  every  day?  I 
had  always  been  amused  by  the  enthusiasm  of  people 
concerning  their  own  houses  or  their  first  baby.  I 
am  afraid,  now,  that  I  began  to  have  exalted  ideas  of 
the  possessorship  of  land. 


IN  A  GARDEN  159 

Pryor  dropped  in  at  the  station  a  day  or  two 
after. 

"Thurston,"  he  began,  "will  you  allow  me  to 
bring  some  one  up  to  your  place  to  see  what  you  have 
done  ?  Maybe  I  can  sell  the  Moore  house.  There 
was  a  man  over  here  looking  at  this  very  place 
last  summer ,  but  he  thought  it  rather  discouraging, 
and  wanted  more  ground.  His  health  isn't  very 
good,  and  he  has  two  sons  to  step  into  his  business  in 
New  York.  He  wants  to  buy  a  place  where  he  can 
have  a  nice  large  garden,  and  chickens,  horse  and 
cow,  and  all  that.  Yesterday  he  stopped  off  a  train 
and  talked  about  it;  but  he  is  almost  afraid  to  try 
Athens,  there  is  so  little  enterprise.  I  thought,  if  he 
could  see  your  place  and  the  Wilburs's  new  house,  he 
might  not  consider  us  quite  so  benighted." 

"  Why,  of  course,"  I  answered. 

"Wouldn't  it  be  jolly  now,  if  I  could  sell  the 
Moore  place  ?  And,  you  see,  that  would  tend  to 
improve  the  value  of  yours  as  well.  Who  knows, 
Thurston,  but  that  your  coming  may  be  the  start  of 
prosperity  for  this  forlorn  coast  ?  " 

We  both  laughed.  The  man,  a  Mr.  Randall,  came 
to  hand.  He  was  little  past  middle  life,  and  did  look 
very  poorly ;  but  he  proved  pleasant  and  entertain 
ing,  with  a  good  fund  of  common  sense.  Pryor  was 
right.  He  was  caught  by  the  wonderful  improve- 


I 
160  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

ment  we  had  made.  I  had  almost  forgotten  how 
forlorn  and  unpromising  the  place  had  looked.  He 
examined  the  fruit,  the  garden,  the  chickens,  the 
house,  and  then  we  went  over  to  inspect  the  new 
one.  Afterward  we  went  up  to  Moore's,  which  was 
only  a  short  distance  above  us,  on  the  same  avenue. 

The  house  was  a  large,  attractive  one,  with  a  hall 
through  the  middle,  three  bay-windows,  two  large 
piazzas,  a  fine,  long  arbor,  with  a  variety  tff  grapes ; 
a  large  barn,  and  numerous  sheds,  and  three  acres 
of  ground  with  considerable  fruit.  The  land,  like 
ours,  lay  on  a  gentle  slope,  was  dry  and  sunny.  For 
two  years  this  house  had  not  been  tenanted.  The 
price  was  seven  thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Randall  did 
seem  quite  impressed. 

"  If  I  could  do  as  well  as  you  have,"  he  said  to 
me,  "  and  if  my  folks  would  be  content.  Still,  it  is 
easy  getting  to  the  city,  and  we  do  go  away  every 
summer.  We  are  talking  about  it  now.  It  is  a  big 
expense,"  and  he  gave  a  low  whistle. 

His  family  consisted  of  himself  and  wife,  one 
single  son,  who  would  live  at  home,  two  daughters,  a 
niece,  and  a  grandson  and  his  widowed  mother.  There 
was  plenty  of  room.  We  could  see  that  he  was 
"  very  much  taken,"  as  the  Athenians  expressed  it. 
He  did  not  even  demur  at  the  price. 

Two  days  afterward  he  was  over  again,  and  ques- 


IN  A   GARDEN  161 

tioned  me  closely  about  my  plans  and  methods.  He 
had  been  brought  up  on  a  farm. 

"But  matters  have  changed  so  much  since  that 
time,"  he  said,  with  a  brief,  amused  laugh.  "  Now  it 
is  all  scientific  farming.  People  make  as  much  off 
of  an  acre  of  ground  as  my  father  did  from  three  or 
four,  and  do  it  easier  too.  I  don't  know  why,  but 
a  man  does  have  a  hankering  after  a  country-place 
as  he  grows  older." 

I  am  afraid  I  was  enthusiastic.  I  may  as  well  say 
here  that  Mr.  Randall  took  the  place,  the  owner 
falling  five  hundred  dollars  in  his  price.  After  some 
repairs,  the  family  came  over  the  first  of  July,  and 
so  far  they  have  not  regretted  it.  We  found  them 
very  agreeable  neighbors.  Pryor  was  delighted  with 
his  success,  and  sent  Eve  two  veranda-chairs  in  red, 
that  certainly  were  ornamental  to  our  front  porch, 
as  well  as  useful.  Accompanying  them  was  an  amus 
ing  note,  in  which  he  quoted  the  old  adage,  that,  if 
a  visitor  brought  his  chair,  he  might  be  sure  of  a 
welcome. 

Then  Eve  was  appealed  to  for  a  home.  Mrs. 
Wilbur  wanted  to  find  a  boarding-place  at  Athens 
for  a  few  weeks,  as  they  had  been  promised  some 
rooms  by  the  middle  of  July,  in  their  own  house. 
Eve  scoured  the  little  town,  and  was  much  enter 
tained  by  her  experiences,  as  well  as  entertaining  us. 


162  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

Up  above  us,  there  was  considerable  boarding: 
indeed,  Truro  was  quite  a  favorite.  But  among 
those  who  could  take  so  large  a  family,  —  for  there 
would  be  eight  in  all,  —  most  of  the  householders 
seemed  to  feel  afraid.  Several  days  after,  when 
Eve's  hopes  had  fallen  to  zero,  since  she  could  not 
suddenly  enlarge  our  house,  one  of  our  neighbors, 
a  Mrs.  Ten  Eyck,  some  of  the  old  aristocracy,  came 
in,  and,  after  considerable  apologizing,  wanted  to 
talk  the  matter  over.  Her  husband  was  dead ;  her 
father  and  mother  lived  with  her,  the  former  partially 
paralyzed;  and  she  had  one  young  son  who  went 
to  the  city  on  business.  She  confessed  reluctantly 
to  Eve,  that  their  income  was  very  small ;  and  she 
had  been  thinking  of  this  business  for  several  years, 
but  did  not  know  how  to  begin. 

Eve  set  the  matter  before  her  in  a  sensible  and 
attractive  light.  She  must  make  a  business  of  it, 
but  in  a  pleasant  way;  and  she  would  find  many 
little  bits  of  satisfaction,  that  would  quite  repay  her 
for  the  sacrifices  on  the  other  side.  She  declared 
that  in  any  difficulty  she  should  come  at  once  to 
Miss  Thurston  for  advice. 

"My  dear,"  she  said  to  Eve,  "how  have  you 
learned  so  much  ?  And  you  are  so  young !  " 

"  I  have  always  thought  I'd  like  to  know  Mrs.  Ten 
Eyck,"  Eve  said  afterward,  "she  is  so  quaintly 


IN  A  GAKDEN  163 

formal  and  delicate.  But  I  am  almost  afraid  of  the 
five  children,  though  Mrs.  Wilbur  is  a  very  sensible 
mother." 

Mrs.  Harwood  was  to  come  the  middle  of  June. 
Meanwhile  Joe  and  Pryor  struck  a  bargain  about 
the  horse,  with  my  consent ;  though  later  on  I 
resolved  to  join  them.  Joe  would  keep  the  horse 
clean,  and  in  good  order,  for  the  use  of  it  an  hour 
or  so  a  day.  His  parcel  delivery  had  so  increased, 
that  it  took  too  much  time  to  travel  on  foot,  seeing 
that  he  was  in  such  requisition  at  the  new  house. 
I  offered  the  stable,  and  also  to  pay  half  of  the  keep 
to  have  it  one-third  of  the  time.  We  were  to  agree 
about  our  "  time  "  amicably,  and  not  have  arbitrary 
days  or  hours.  So  Mrs.  Harwood 's  carriage  was 
provided  without  any  difficulty.  Pryor  had  been 
paying  twelve  dollars  a  month  for  rather  indifferent 
care.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  the  time  that  he 
was  busy  about  other  matters,  so  this  arrangement 
suited  him  admirably. 

"  Really,''  exclaimed  Mr.  Corwin,  as  he  sat  with 
us  on  the  porch  a  few  evenings  later,  "  I  am  not  sure 
vbut  the  ruling  spirit  has  appeared  at  Athens !  Or 
the  goddess  of  good  fortune,  shall  I  say,  Miss 
Thurston?  I  have  never  known  people  so  stirred 
up  since  I  have  been  here.  Montgomery  has  nearly 
doubled  the  price  of  every  lot  he  owns.  And  the 


164  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

young  people  have  broken  out  in  parties  and  musi- 
cales  and  painting-classes,  and  are  planning  picnics." 

"  Two  or  three  people  like  Montgomery  are 
enough  to  stamp  out  every  gleam  of  prosperity," 
declared  Pryor  in  a  vexed  tone.  He  did  not  monop 
olize  the  chairs,  but  generally  took  the  step  of  the 
porch,  so  that  he  could  face  his  audience.  "See 
here,  Corwin,  don't  you  want  to  join  me  in  a 
scheme  ?  If  you  will  buy  half  the  Wallace  shore 
property,  I  will  chip  in  for  the  other  half.  I  happen 
to  know  that  Wallace  has  hard  work  raising  money 
on  it.  Athens  has  such  a  wretched  name  that  people 
are  wary.  He  would  sell  it  cheaply,  but  we'll  offer 
him  a  fair  price.  I  know  some  parties  who  would 
take  it  inside  of  two  months.  What  they  want  to 
do  with  it,  is  my  affair ;  but  they  are  not  coming  here 
if  they  have  to  pay  a  big  price.  It  would  be  a  good 
thing  for  this  three-cent  town.  But  if  I  hinted  it  to 
Wallace,  he  would  be  like  Montgomery.  Come,  join 
me,  and  make  a  few  hundred  dollars.  We  can  pay 
a  small  amount  down,  and  the  balance  in  a  year,  say. 
I  wish  you  could  join,  Thurston.  You  see,  I  do  not 
like  to  shoulder  the  whole  thing,  for  Wallace  would 
set  me  out  as  a  thief  and  a  scoundrel.  But  the 
matter  is  sure." 

"  How  much  down  ?  "  asked  Corwin. 

"  Not  more  than  a  thousand." 


IX  A  GARDEN  165 

"  And  you  are  certain  ?  "  he  asked  slowly. 

"Sure  as  the  tax-gatherer  or  the  man  with  the 
scythe,"  and  Pryor  laughed. 

"I  will  think  about  it.  We'll  walk  down  after 
supper  to-morrow  evening,  and  look  at  it." 

Then  we  talked  nonsense. 


166  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 


CHAPTER  X 

EVERY-DAY    IDYLS 

MRS.  HARWOOD  came  over  the  middle  of  June. 
We  were  almost  buried  in  flowering  shrubbery.  I 
thought  I  had  trimmed  and  pruned,  but  there  was 
no  end  to  it  still ;  and  there  were  some  lovely  roses 
among  other  things.  The  syringa  perfumed  the  air 
up  and  down,  and  every  room  was  sweet.  We  had 
still  some  cherries,  currants  were  in  their  glory,  and 
raspberries  were  just  ripening.  I  found  there  were 
several  kinds,  two  of  red  and  a  palish-yellow  one 
besides  the  blackcaps.  As  I  cleared  up  my  chicken- 
houses,  I  distributed  the  fertilizer  as  a  top  dressing ; 
and  now  with  the  horse  I  felt  that  I  should  be  quite 
rich. 

Mrs.  Harwood  was  delighted.  She  admitted  that 
she  had  made  allowance  for  Eve's  enthusiasm,  but 
that  it  had  not  been  overdrawn.  Eve  had  arranged 
her  room  for  our  new  inmate,  and  taken  one  of  the 
smaller  ones.  We  found  Mrs.  Harwood  very  bright 
and  entertaining.  She  had  a  dry  kind  of  wit  that 
amused  us  all,  and  seemed  to  fascinate  Joe.  I  think 


IN  A  GARDEN  167 

she  really  loved  Eve  as  if  she  had  been  some  connec 
tion  ;  but  how  could  she  help  it?  She  was  quite  sus 
picious  of  Pryor  at  first ;  but  Eve  insisted  that  for 
the  present,  matrimony  was  out  of  her  thoughts. 
She  also  took  a  great  fancy  to  Joe,  who  was  growing 
handsome  by  the  day.  I  would  hardly  have  believed 
the  transformation.  His  eyes  were  so  clear  and 
merry,  his  complexion  fresh  as  a  rose,  even  if  a  little 
sunburned,  and  his  voice  had  a  manly  ring  as  if  he 
had  come  to  be  proud  of  himself.  He  had  bought  a 
new  light  summer  suit,  that  gave  him  a  very  "  natty  " 
look ;  and  he  had  begun  to  save  a  little,  which  he 
handed  over  to  Eve  to  keep  for  him. 

I  hardly  know  how  Joe  did  put  in  so  much  in  the 
way  of  work.  He  was  quick,  and  he  could  fit  one 
thing  in  with  another  most  admirably.  I  began  to 
think  that  holding  out  a  helping  hand  to  Joe  was 
one  of  the  best  deeds  of  my  life. 

Every  day  the  ladies  went  out  driving ;  and  Mrs. 
Harwood  enjoyed  the  lovely  winding  roads,  the  bits 
of  wood,  the  peaceful  river ;  and  farther  out,  there 
were  some  actual  farms,  one  quite  celebrated  for  its 
Alderney  cattle.  Then  they  paid  a  visit  to  Mr.  Van- 
duyne's  chicken-ranch,  and  took  several  short  jour 
neys  by  rail.  Sometimes  it  was  all  three  of  the 
ladies,  at  others  Eve  and  Mrs.  Harwood,  or  that  lady 
and  Mrs.  West.  Every  evening  there  was  a  house 
ful  of  callers. 


168  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

"I  really  do  not  think  you  are  likely  to  die  of  lone 
liness,"  Mrs.  Harwood  said  to  Eve.  "  And  I  am  so 
glad  you  have  sense  enough  to  take  your  pleasure  as 
you  go  along.  Though  where  or  how  you  find  time 
to  get  meals,  is  a  mystery  to  me.  You  ought  to 
keep  a  hotel." 

Eve  laughed  at  that.  "I  am  thinking  about  an 
addition  to  the  house,"  she  answered  merrily. 

As  for  the  meals,  they  were  a  mystery  to  me.  Eve 
and  Joe  could  concoct  something  in  the  least  space 
of  time.  We  had  chickens  and  eggs,  not  very  many 
of  our  own,  but  they  were  cheap ;  we  had  fruits ;  and 
many  were  the  dainty  dishes  we  had  served  up 
under  high-sounding  French  names,  but  they  were 
better  than  French  admixtures.  I  thought  her 
strawberry  shortcake  was  perfection,  but  she  could 
make  with  raspberries  and  cream  a  shortcake  equally 
nice. 

Meanwhile"  Mrs.  Wilbur  came  over  with  five 
children,  a  nurse,  a  housekeeper  who  at  present 
supervised  the  whole  family.  Mrs.  Ten  Eyck  was 
quite  dismayed  at  first,  but  Mrs.  Wilbur  was  one  of 
the  most  agreeable  of  women.  She  spent  about  half 
of  her  first  week  with  us;  indeed,  all  summer  she 
was  Eve's  shadow;  but  she  had  such  pretty  and 
engaging  manners,  that  she  never  seemed  intrusive. 

Pryor  and  Mr.  Corwin  bought  the  plot  of  ground,  a 


IN  A  GARDEN  169 

kind  of  point  jutting  out  into  the  river.  There  was 
in  some  places  quite  a  wide  strip  between  the  road 
and  the  river.  A  few  dilapidated  boat-houses  and 
saloons,  and  several  old  factories,  in  which  some 
of  the  most  wretched  of  the  Athenians,  black  and 
white,  lived,  disfigured  the  shore. 

Pryor  engaged  part  of  it  first,  then  he  made 
Wallace  say  what  he  would  take  for  the  whole. 
Once  he  decided  to  back  out.  "  Very  well,"  said 
Pryor  indifferently,  and  seemed  in  no  great  heat 
about  negotiations.  Then  Wallace  came  to  terms, 
and  sold,  receiving  a  thousand  dollars  down,  another 
thousand  at  the  end  of  six  months,  and  the  balance  at 
the  year's  end.  Then  Pryor  interviewed  the  factory 
people  who  wanted  it,  and  found  their  offer  to  be 
just  one  thousand  dollars  higher.  It  was  to  be  an 
establishment  for  weaving  wire  cloth,  as  the  lease 
of  the  place  they  were  in  could  not  be  renewed  on 
favorable  terms. 

It  was  a  source  of  great  amusement  to  us  all, 
when  the  property  was  resold,  to  see  the  manner  in 
which  Wallace  took  it. 

"  If  I'd  had  the  slightest  idea  that  the  factory 
people  would  have  come  to  hand,  I'd  made  them  pay 
roundly  for  it !  Why,  Pryor,  you've  given  the  land 
away,  —  fairly  made  them  a  present  of  it !  I  didn't 
think  you  were  such  a  short-sighted  fool !  If  I  had 


170  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

that  land  back  again,  no  such  money  would  get  it 
from  me !  " 

Mr.  Montgomery  bewailed  the  matter  in  much 
the  same  manner.  If  a  few  more  such  sales  were 
made,  Athens  would  become  a  laughing-stock  of  all 
the  towns  around.  Such  men  as  Pryor  were  enough 
to  ruin  any  place.  No  one  could  stand  out  for 
decent  prices  if  property  was  to  be  given  away  in 
that  style ! 

"  What  idiots  !  "  Pryor  said  angrily.  "  Now,  these 
men  will  bring  in  quite  a  number  of  new  people,  and 
find  employment  for  many  others.  There  must  be 
houses  for  them  to  live  in,  and  all  that;  they  will 
trade  at  the  stores ;  and  this  factory  being  here,  may 
start  up  others.  Wallace  had  a  fair  price  for  property 
that  hadn't  paid  him  a  penny  for  twenty  years ;  and 
we  have  made  a  little,  —  enough  to  pay  us  for  our 
trouble.  Only  I  wish,  Thurston,  it  had  been  you 
instead  of  Corwin.  Not  but  what  he's  a  good  fellow, 
only  I  would  like  to  give  you  a  lift.  Well,  better 
luck  next  time." 

Mrs.  Harwood  went  away  reluctantly.  She 
wanted  to  take  Eve  to  Lake  George  with  her  for  a 
week  or  so,  but  a  crowd  of  girls  were  coming  for  the 
Fourth  of  July.  However,  she  insisted  that  Eve 
should  be  her  guest  at  Saratoga  a  week  in  August, 
and  that  she  should  spend  some  time  with  us  in  the 


IN  A  GARDEN  171 

autumn.  Besides  her  board,  she  insisted  upon  paying 
six  dollars  for  the  carriage-hire,  and  made  Joe  a 
little  gift  that  surprised  him  greatly. 

"Take  good  care  of  my  girl,"  she  said  to  me  at 
parting.  "  I  can't  have  her  getting  faded  and  worn, 
no,  not  for  twenty  houses." 

"  I  should  be  rich  enough  to  keep  her  a  lady,"  I 
answered  with  a  regretful  sigh. 

"  Eve  Thurston  could  never  be  any  thing  but  a 
lady,"  she  returned  rather  sharply.  "And  if  she 
willed,  she  might  be  kept  in  luxury." 

The  next  thing  was  Mrs.  West's  departure.  We 
had  become  so  attached  to  her,  that  I  think  even 
Joe  shed  some  tears  with  his  good-by.  Her  daughter, 
an  elegant,  middle-aged  woman,  came  over  for  her, 
and  expressed  not  only  gratitude  but  delight  that 
her  mother  had  fallen  in  such  good  hands.  It  was  a 
sad  parting,  and  they  exchanged  promises  of  writing. 

But  for  Mrs.  Wilbur  I  think  Eve  would  have  been 
quite  depressed  by  the  loneliness  of  the  house.  I 
wondered  what  we  would  do  when  winter  came. 
But  she  had  to  get  in  order  for  the  new  influx. 
Letty  was  ready  to  come  now;  and  I  was  glad  to 
have  Eve  relieved  of  some  work,  though  she  did  not 
look  as  if  her  care  had  weighed  heavily. 

The  1st  of  July  was  Saturday.  Five  girls  were 
coming,  and  on  Sunday  two  gentlemen.  The  rooms 


172  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

were  freshened  and  put  in  order,  and  made  sweet 
with  flowers.  Mrs.  Wilbur  came  up.  She  was  much 
amused  at  what  she  called  a  "  hen  party." 

Certainly  they  were  the  gayest  crowd.  The  two 
Brooke  girls,  a  Miss  Fisher  whom  I  had  met  at 
aunt  Carry's,  Bel  Lane,  and  Kitty  Travers.  The 
sixth  would  arrive  on  Monday. 

We  asked  Pryor  to  come  up  to  tea.  I  needed 
some  one  to  keep  me  in  countenance.  We  had 
broiled  chicken,  fried  potatoes,  raspberry  shortcake, 
and  custard.  But  the  merriment  was  beyond  any 
description.  I  thought  them  the  wittiest  lot  it  had 
ever  been  my  fortune  to  meet.  Sadie  Brooke  was 
the  drollest  and  most  winning  —  shall  I  say  the  most 
audacious  ?  —  flirt  that  I  ever  saw. 

I  had  to  go  down  to  the  office,  and  Pryor  had  to 
see  the  inevitable  man.  Sadie  and  Kitty  Travers 
walked  down  with  us,  and  then  strolled  on  to  the 
river,  where  I  overtook  them,  and  escorted  them 
homeward.  We  met  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilbur,  who 
swelled  our  procession. 

"  I  couldn't  rest  until  Mr.  Wilbur  had  looked  in 
upon  you,"  declared  his  wife.  "  But  the  party  seems 
to  have  increased,"  and  she  glanced  rather  amazed  at 
the  new  additions. 

Saturday  night  had  become  a  kind  of  reception 
evening  with  us.  Two  of  the  Montgomerys  were  in, 


IN  A  GARDEN  173 

Charlie  Wharton,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morrison,  and  their 
daughter.  I  was  very  glad  to  have  the  Wilburs 
meet  some  of  their  neighbors. 

The  party  talked,  half  a  dozen  at  a  time,  and 
langhed  in  chorus.  I  do  not  know  who  first  pro 
posed  a  picnic,  but  Mr.  Wilbur  took  it  up  enthusi 
astically. 

"  See  here,"  he  began.  "  I  shall  have  to  spend  the 
glorious  Fourth  in  these  classic  but  unpatriotic 
shades.  Generally  I  manage  to  take  my  wife  off 
somewhere  ;  but,  as  this  cannot  be  done,  I  ought  to 
have  some  compensation.  Is  there  a  respectably 
level  ground,  with  the  proper  degree  of  shade,  where 
a  quadrille  can  be  danced,  and  the  exhausted  par 
ticipants  loll  around  afterward,  without  danger  of 
getting  freckled  or  sun-burned  ?  For  one,  I  am 
choice  of  my  complexion.  Ambrosial  Balm  is  ex 
cellent,  but  dear.  If  you  can  find  this  favored  spot, 
and  will  promise  to  let  me  dance  with  all  the  prettiest 
girls,  I  will  pay  the  piper." 

"  Excellent ! "  exclaimed  Sadie.  "  Mr.  Wilbur,  I 
hope  you  want  to  dance  with  me  ?  " 

Everybody  laughed. 

"  There's  Terry's  woods,  you  know,"  Dan  Mont 
gomery  made  haste  to  announce.  "  It's  cleared 
pretty  well,  and  it  isn't  far." 

"  Capital  place,"  declared  Pryor.     "  If  only  those 


174  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

who  contribute  will  be  allowed  to  dance,  I  beg  to  be 
placed  on  the  cream  committee  at  once." 

It  went  on  taking  shape ;  and  before  one  would 
have  imagined  it,  the  matter  was  arranged.  The 
picnic  was  to  open  at  three  punctually,  at  Terry's 
woods,  unless  it  rained. 

"  If  it  rains,  we  will  have  to  adjourn  to  my  new 
house.  I  will  see  that  they  get  all  the  floors  laid  on 
Monday,"  said  Mr.  Wilbur. 

"  Or  we  might  take  the  station,"  appended  Joe. 
"  There  ought  to  be  one  jolly  frolic  down  there  in 
remembrance  of  old  times." 

"  I  think  of  engaging  it  for  a  dancing-school  next 
winter,"  said  Eve  sententiously. 

It  came  out  that  there  were  some  amusing  associa 
tions  connected  with  it ;  and  Mr.  Wilbur  insisted  that, 
as  new-comers,  they  were  entitled  to  a  fair  share  of 
knowledge  concerning  their  neighbors'  affairs.  Eve 
went  briefly  over  the  story  of  our  housekeeping,  set 
ting  it  forth  in  a  most  entertaining  light.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wilbur  laughed  heartily.  The  clock  struck 
eleven ;  and  our  guests  started  with  guilty  con 
sciences,  beginning  to  make  excuses  for  such  late 
staying. 

"  The  picnic  is  a  true  fact,  as  my  little  girl  says," 
announced  Mr.  Wilbur.  "  No  backing  out.  I  shall 
be  there  promptly,  with  a  fiddler ;  and  every  pretty 


IN  A  GARDEN  175 

girl  will  be  there,  so  we  shall  know  in  what  esteem 
the  truants  hold  themselves.  Miss  Brooke,  I  shall 
open  the  grand  entertainment  with  you.  My  wife 
will  provide  her  own  partner,  and  look  out  that  there 
is  no  poaching  on  her  manor." 

"Yes,  girls,"  said  Mrs.  Wilbur  laughingly,  "you 
may  all  pull  straws  for  him  after  the  picnic  is  fairly 
under  way.  Good-night,  good-night." 

They  dispersed,  rather  reluctantly  I  thought ;  and 
we  talked  on  for  a  good  hour,  I  am  sure.  In  fact,  I 
heard  laughs  all  the  remainder  of  the  night. 

Sunday  morning  was  splendid,  but  rather  warm. 
We  all  went  to  church<  and  Athens  seemed  to  be 
amazed.  The  afternoon  we  spent  up  in  the  chestnut- 
grove  with  cushions,  blankets,  hammocks,  and  books. 
Some  of  us  went  to  church  again  in  the  evening. 
Pryor,  Mr.  Bradford,  and  the  inevitable  Dan  walked 
up  with  us,  and  we  had  some  very  good  singing. 
Sadie  managed  to  give  Mr.  Bradford  an  invitation 
to  the  picnic.  Miss  Travers's  admirer,  a  Mr.  Dane, 
and  Frank  Gaylord,  had  been  added  by  the  evening 
train ;  so  we  all  walked  down  again  to  see  them  off, 
and  both  declared  they  would  be  up  on  Tuesday. 

Pryor  was  in  early  Monday  morning.  Eve  was  to 
give  herself  no  uneasiness  about  the  cream,  and  if 
there  was  any  thing  else  — 

"  We  are  going  to  make  biscuits,  and  boil  a  ham," 


176  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

returned  Eve.  "  Miss  Ruth  is  going  to  supply  some 
cake;  Mrs.  Corwin  and  Mrs.  Wharton  also.  There 
will  not  be  much  for  us  to  do." 

"  Couldn't  you  go  for  a  nice  row  late  this  after 
noon  ?  The  river  is  so  lovely,  and  when  the  heat  of 
the  sun  is  over  "  — 

"  Oh,  enchanting ! "  interrupted  Sadie  Brooke, 
coming  forward.  "  We  always  row  at  Lake  George. 
Come,  let  us  hurry  with  our  biscuits  and  things. 
If  only  we  did  not  have  to  eat,  how  much  time  we 
might  devote  to  other  matters,  —  fun,  for  instance  !  " 
and  her  eyes  were  brimful  of  dangerous  light. 

Instead  of  biscuits,  she  and  Kitty  Travers  went 
off  to  ride  with  him.  I  was  busy  at  the  station,  and 
in  my  garden  picking  berries.  We  still  had  a  plen 
tiful  supply  of  delicious  currants,  and  the  raspberries 
seemed  never  failing.  We  really  were  the  envy  of 
some  of  our  neighbors,  who  couldn't  see  how  we 
could  get  so  much  out  of  that  old,  neglected  place. 

There  came  up  from  New  York  a  basket  of  choice 
fruit  and  a  box  of  confectionery.  Eve  declared  the 
donation  party  had  begun.  By  night,  several  cakes 
had  been  sent  in.  We  went  for  the  row,  and  it  was 
most  delightful ;  the  sky  full  of  soft,  fleecy  white 
clouds,  that  now  and  then  hid  the  sun,  though  that 
was  fast  dropping  behind  the  hill.  It  was  such  a 
lovely,  drowsy  river,  with  its  reaches  of  shade,  and 


IN  A  GARDEN  177 

open  spaces,  and  a  few  little  settlements.  One  of 
the  towns  made  quite  a  pretence  to  business,  with 
its  docks  and  several  factories  at  the  water's  edge. 
But  the  soft  golden  and  hazy  lights,  the  faint  breeze 
stirring  the  sedgy  grass,  or  the  trees  higher  up,  and 
rippling  the  waters,  made  it  a  perfect  picture. 
Some  one  repeated  Tennyson's  poem  of  "  The  Lotos- 
Eaters."  Another  gave  us  Robert  Browning.  Bertha 
Brooke  contributed  bits  of  pathos  and  audacity  from 
Owen  Meredith.  Coming  home,  everybody  sang  in 
the  soft  summer  twilight.  Even  now  that  seems  one 
of  the  fairy  touches  of  existence.  Had  I  ever  truly 
lived  before?  I  glanced  at  Eve  with  her  lucent 
eyes  and  soft-tinted  cheeks,  and  knew  she  was 
enjoying  herself  to  the  uttermost. 

There  was  a  plain  little  supper  for  us,  arranged  by 
Letty,  who  somehow  entered  right  into  the  spirit  of 
the  affair,  and  served  us  with  a  kind  of  cheerful 
delight.  Before  we  were  through,  the  guests  began 
to  gather  again,  and  we  had  a  merry  evening. 

Joe  was  as  full  of  pleasure  as  any  one  else.  Some 
times  when  I  looked  at  him,  I  could  hardly  believe 
him  the  same  lad  who  had  come  to  me  in  such  dire 
distress.  Every  day  he  seemed  to  grow  larger  and 
handsomer,  and  his  manners  were  really  refined, 
delicate.  Had  Eve  worked  this  change  ?  Oddly 
enough,  Pryor  was  less  boisterous  in  certain  ways ; 


178  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

and  even  Dan  Montgomery  was  coming  to  have  a 
gentlemanly  air.  Was  it  not .  the  contact  with  real 
fineness  of  breeding  ?  Eve,  with  all  her  nonsense, 
had  such  a  gracious,  charming  refinement.  She 
never  lowered  herself  to  people,  but,  in  some  curious 
fashion,  met  them  on  her  level,  drew  them  up  to 
some  better  height.  But  it  did  not  seem  as  if 
these  few  months  could  so  have  transformed  either 
soul  or  body. 

We  had  our  wish,  and  it  was  a  tolerably  fair 
morning ;  though  we  all  agreed  it  would  rain  before 
night,  as  it.  always  did  on  Fourth  of  July.  Joe  and 
Mr.  Pryor  went  up  to  the  ground  to  clear  up,  and 
arrange  some  seats  ;  while  the  girls  dawdled  around 
after  the  pretty,  graceful  fashion  of  girls  of  leisure. 
Mr.  Wilbur  took  them  all  through  his  new  house, 
though  Mrs.  WilBur  declared  they  looked  at  a  great 
deal  of  it  with  the  eye  of  faith. 

Athens  made  a  show  of  patriotism  by  now  and 
then  firing  off  a  pistol,  or  a  squad  of  boys  congre 
gated  about  a  pack  of  fire-crackers.  Some  of  the 
larger  towns  around  had  processions  and  speeches : 
even  our  solitary  and  forlorn  Brass  Band  went  out 
of  town.  But  there  was  quite  an  influx  of  visitors, 
and  trains  ran  full :  indeed,  there  were  some  extras. 
Joe  insisted  that  I  should  go  to  the  picnic,  and 
promised  to  run  up  once  or  twice  between  trains. 


IN  A  GARDEN  179 

Dan  Montgomery  came  over  with  his  father's 
wagon,  and  offered  to  help  carry  up  the  "  creature 
comforts,"  as  Pryor  dubbed  them.  Our  house  seemed 
to  be  the  meeting-place,  and  we  formed  quite  a  pro 
cession  when  we  started.  It  was  over  the  hill  above 
us,  something  farther  to  the  north,  a  kind  of  natural 
clearing  in  the  strip  of  woods,  —  oak,  hickory,  hem 
lock,  and  chestnut.  The  short  grass  had  been  raked 
and  swept.  There  was  quite  a  pretentious  table,  two 
long  plank  benches,  some  camp-seats,  several  ham 
mocks  hung,  and  three  colored  musicians. 

Few  especial  invitations  had  been  given  out :  there 
had  not  been  time.  Frank  Gaylord  had  brought  a 
young  Cuban  up  with  him,  who  \^fas  employed  in  the 
foreign  correspondence  of  his  uncle's  business-house, 
—  a  very  gentlemanly  young  fellow  with  a  rather 
handsome  face  and  fine  manners. 

"  He  seemed  so  lonely,  and  did  not  know  what  to 
do  with  himself,"  explained  Frank  to  his  sister  and 
mine.  "  You  see,  he  only  came  to  New  York  last 
March,  and  has  not  made  many  friends ;  but  he's  first- 
class,  and  I  was  telling  him  how  jolly  you  all  were 
out  here." 

"  Take  him  around,  and  introduce  him  to  every 
body,"  said  Helen.  "  It  may  not  be  fashionable  ;  but 
we  are  in  country-wilds,  and  it  does  make  a  stranger 
feel  more  at  home." 


180  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

Frank  obeyed  the  behest.  Manuel  Estradura 
seemed  a  trifle  abashed  at  first;  but  Sadie  Brooke 
and  Mr.  Wilbur  took  him  so  cleverly  under  their 
mutual  wings,  that  he  almost  became  the  hero  of  the 
occasion.  His  rival  was  Mrs.  Wilbur's  cousin,  a  Mr. 
Palmer,  eight  and  twenty  perhaps,  and  charming 
enough  to  be  remarkable  at  a  fashionable  watering- 
place.  Sadie  declared  privately  that  she  felt  utterly 
eclipsed  and  maddingly  jealous. 

The  music  struck  up,  and  the  dancing  began. 
Pryor  was  supremely  happy  with  Eve  for  a  partner ; 
while  Dan  Montgomery  looked  on  in  a  rather  surly 
fashion,  resolving,  I  dare  say,  to  acquire  the  art  at 
the  very  first  opportunity.  In  the  Lancers  that 
followed,  Eve  had  Mr.  Palmer,  and  Sadie  the  Cuban ; 
but  in  the  next  set  Sadie  was  supremely  content  with 
the  tall,  distinguished  stranger. 

They  danced,  they  chatted  and  laughed.  There 
was  the  quickest  of  repartee,  the  merriest  of  badi 
nage.  It  was  a  picture  out  there  in  the  woods,  —  a 
Watteau-like  scene  that  harmonized  admirably.  Joe 
was  wild  with  delight  when  he  came  up.  They  were 
just  about  dancing  again;  and  he  took  Ruth  Mont 
gomery,  rather  to  my  surprise.  I  thought  of  Eve's 
plan  of  attracting  Pryor  thitherward,  but  in  my 
heart  of  hearts  I  knew  it  would  not  work. 

It  was  a  happy  time  with  youth  and  delight.     The 


IN  A  GARDEN  181 

moments  flew  too  rapidly.  Never  did  music  sound 
sweeter,  never  did  sandwich,  cake,  cream,  and  lemon 
ade  taste  better.  Is  there  any  zest  like  that  of  the 
freshness  of  youth  and  the  piquant  unconventionality 
of  such  an  occasion  ? 

"  There  will  not  be  any  thing  quite  as  charming  at 
Lake  George,  I  know,"  declared  Sadie  wilfully.  "  I 
have  half  a  mind  not  to  go." 

Palmer  looked  up  quickly. 

"Are  you  booked  for  Lake  George?"  he  asked. 
"  I  am  to  start  next  week  with  a  camping-out  party, 
and  spend  a  fortnight.  Are  you  going  with  a  party  ?  " 
and  he  gave  a  mirthful  glance  around. 

"I  am  always  in  a  party,"  declared  Sadie.  "I 
abhor  solitudes  and  sages,  and  enjoy  being  '  in  the 
midst  of  alarms.'  Yes,  my  sister,  Miss  Fisher,  Miss 
Lane,  and  Miss  Travers,  go  with  us.  I  only  wish  I 
could  coax  Eve  Thurston  to  join,  but  she  has  spent 
one  whole  summer  there." 

They  compared  notes  about  their  respective  loca 
tions,  and  found  they  were  not  going  to  be  very  far 
apart.  Mr.  Bradford,  who  had  come  up  an  hour  or 
so  before,  found  himself  quite  supplanted,  and  had  to 
comfort  his  soul  with  Bertha.  Was  he  really  attracted 
to  Sadie  Brooke  ?  I  could  not  imagine  him  choosing 
such  a  gay  society  wife ;  but  he  was  in  no  wise 
devoted  to  young  women. 


182  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

On  the  homeward  route  Mr.  Palmer  was  her 
escort.  The  young  Cuban  seemed  curiously  attracted 
to  Eve.  Mrs.  Wilbur  now  informed  us  that  she  had 
made  all  arrangements  with  Mrs.  Ten  Eyck  for  our 
party  to  have  supper  there,  and  Mr.  Wilbur  had  laid 
in  a  liberal  supply  of  fire-works.  There  was  a  little 
demurring,  but  Eve  was  speedily  overruled. 

There  had  been  quite  a  number  of  Athenians  who 
had  strolled  up  to  Terry's  woods,  rather  curious  to 
know  just  what  was  going  on.  We  had  made  several 
of  our  friends  and  neighbors  very  welcome,  and  the 
breaking  up  was  characterized  by  expressions  of 
delight  and  good  feeling  at  their  venturing  to  trust 
our  hospitality. 

"  Why,  we  might  often  have  pleasant  little  times 
like  this,"  said  Charlie  Wharton.  "  Athens  has  been 
the  stupidest  place ;  but  if  we  only  can  get  in 
some  new  people  with  a  little  vim  and  brains  above 
a  Sunday-school  picnic,  where  you  are  in  fear  of 
children  breaking  their  limbs,  or  tearing  their  best 
clothes !  " 

"  They  are  well  enough  in  their  way,"  rejoined  his 
sister-in-law,  "but  the  older  people  might  enjoy  a 
pleasure  on  a  different  scale.  And  I  do  think  we 
owe  a  debt  or  a  vote  of  thanks  to  Miss  Thurston  for 
stirring  up  the  Rip  Van  Winkles." 

"  Yes,"  declared  Pryor.     "  Thurston,  you  will  yet 


IN  A  GARDEN  183 

be  the  light  and  regeneration  of  Athens.  When  we 
come  to  get  some  business  and  some  new  people  "  — 

"And  a  hotel,1'  interrupted  Sadie.  "Put  Miss 
Thurston  in  as  business  manager." 

"And  I  will  do  my  best  toward  filling  it,"  said 
Mr.  Wilbur. 

Eve,  Joe,  and  I  paused  a  few  moments  at  the 
house.  Joe  was  to  do  the  chores.  I  ran  down  to 
the  station,  and  attended  to  the  up  and  down  trains. 
When  I  reached  Mrs.  Ten  Eyck's,  I  found  Pryor 
and  Mr.  Bradford  had  both  accepted  the  invitation. 
Indeed,  it  was  quite  a  party.  Mrs.  Wilbur  was  mis 
tress  of  ceremonies,  and  we  did  have  a  gay  time. 
Afterward  we  went  out  on  the  porch.  It  was  quite 
cloudy,  so  it  was  considered  prudent  to  have  the  fire 
works  at  once,  as  the  children  were  eager  for  them. 

So  we  ended  with  a  patriotic  glorification.  Our 
day  had  been  a  great  success.  Frank  Gaylord  and 
Estradura  were  going  on  the  train,  but  Palmer  had 
accepted  Mrs.  Wilbur's  invitation  to  remain  a  few 
days  longer.  We  saw  the  travellers  off,  with  decla 
rations  on  their  part  that  they  had  found  Athens 
delightful. 

The  next  morning  Joe  and  I  were  very  busy,  and 
the  girls  had  the  house  to  themselves.  But  in  the 
afternoon  they  all  went  off  driving  with  Palmer  and 
Mrs.  Wilbur.  Indeed,  they  were  so  late  that  Letty 


184  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

and  Joe  had  supper  all  ready  when  they  came 
home.  Mr.  Bradford  and  Pryor  were  both  up  that 
evening. 

Mr.  Wilbur's  house  was  progressing  so  rapidly, 
that  they  had  decided  to  get  in  before  it  was  all 
finished,  and  resolved  to  move  about  the  middle  of 
the  month ;  though  Mrs.  Wilbur  explained  the  case 
more  fully  to  Eve.  They  had  some  friends  who 
would  like  to  board  with  the  Ten  Eycks,  but  who 
wanted  to  get  out  in  the  country  by  that  time,  and 
Mrs.  Ten  Eyck  would  be  pleased  to  have  them  come, 
—  a  married  couple  with  a  son  and  daughter.  The 
Wilburs  did  not  intend  to  furnish  very  elaborately. 
Most  of  the  floors  were  hard  wood  or  stained,  and 
Mrs.  Wilbur  promised  herself  much  pleasure  talking 
matters  over  with  Eve.  Both  husband  and  wife  had 
taken  an  immense  fancy  to  Joe. 

Indeed,  Joe  developed  such  a  multifarious  genius 
that  I  was  sometimes  quite  amazed.  He  was  like  a 
woman  in  the  "short  cuts"  he  took  to  accomplish 
his  object.  If  he  did  not  get  a  satisfactory  result 
one  way,  he  used  another.  Some  of  his  suggestions 
were  so  excellent  that  Mr.  Wilbur  placed  the  arrange 
ment  of  the  grounds  and  several  other  matters  in  his 
hands.  A  nice  barn  was  to  be  built  through  the  fall, 
and  next  year  they  would  keep  a  horse  and  a  cow. 

Already  Joe  had  begun  to  save  some  money.     He 


IN  A  GARDEN  185 

had  bought  a  nice,  inexpensive  summer-suit,  and  was 
paying  for  a  watch  on  instalments.  His  parcel  busi 
ness  was  considerable,  and  the  regular  expressman  of 
the  town  looked  sourly  at  him.  He  had  also  made  a 
contract  with  several  ladies  in  Athens,  elderly  peo 
ple,  to  take  them  to  drive  now  and  then,  bring  them 
to  the  station  when  they  needed  to  go  to  the  city, 
and  take  them  home.  His  prices  were  so  low,  that 
Pryor  quite  laughed  at  him  at  first ;  but  when  he 
made  seventy-five  cents  on  some  days,  and  had  the 
pleasure  besides,  he  felt  quite  elated. 

"  Thurston,  next  year  I'll  have  a  horse,  you  see  if 
I  don't,"  he  said  confidently  to  me.  "  I've  made  up 
my  mind  that  Tm  going  to  see  if  I  can't  get  my 
share  of  the  world's  wealth  that  Miss  Eve  was 
explaining  to  me  one  day.  It  looks  like  a  big  thing, 
to  set  out  for  eight  hundred  dollars ;  but  I  dare  say 
if  I  hadn't  stumbled  over  you  ^s  I  did  that  day,  I 
should  drink  up  that  amount  in  ten  years  ;  so  I  just 
said  to  myself,  'If  you  can  afford  to  drink  up  that 
sum  in  beer  and  rum,  you  can  afford  to  save  it.' 
And  money  does  help  you  to  make  money.  O 
Thurston !  I  can  never  be  grateful  enough  to  you  and 
Miss  Eve,"  and  Joe's  eyes  were  limpid  with  tears. 

Certainly,  even  this  was  worth  doing.  And  it 
seemed,  with  a  helping  hand  now  and  then,  that 
Joe  might  be  a  success  for  himself.  Cities  were 


186  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

full  enough  of  young  men  crowding  each  other  for 
bread,  and  even  here  Joe  was  making  more  clear 
money  than  in  any  position  he  was  likely  to  get. 
The  thought  of  his  future  troubled  me  now  and 
then,  —  whether,  indeed,  this  was  a  good  business 
discipline  for  the  man. 

Thursday  was  crowded  full  of  pleasure.  The 
girls  were  to  go  back  on  Friday,  except  Miss 
Gaylord,  who  was  to  rejoin  some  relatives  at  Long 
Branch  on  the  first  of  August.  Now  she  proposed 
to  spend  the  intervening  weeks  at  Athens. 

"  It  will  be  very  pleasant  to  have  her,"  said  Eve. 
"  I  have  been  so  used  to  some  society  and  companion 
ship,  that  I  must  be  let  down  easily;"  and  she 
laughed  gayly. 

Mrs.  Brooke  sent  an  invitation  for  Eve  to 
accompany  them  to  Lake  George,  and  remain  a 
fortnight ;  and  Sadie  insisted  that  she  should  consent. 

"Indeed,  I  cannot!"  said  Eve.  "I  must  finish  up 
my  painting-class  and  feome  music-lessons,  and  make 
some  fine  attire.  Then  I  am  to  go  to  Saratoga  to 
Mrs.  Harwood." 

"Then  you  can  surely  come.  We  will  never, 
never  forgive  you  if  you  don't ! "  cried  the  chorus. 

Eve  did  partly  promise. 

There  was  a  rather  amusing  dispute  at  the  last. 
Eve  had  arranged  it  with  me  that  the  girls'  week 


IN  A  .GARDEN  187 

should  be  considered  a  visit.  They  had  not  intended 
that,  but  Eve  pluckily  held  her  ground.  The  girls 
gave  in  presently,  and  were  so  agreeable,  that  I  felt 
quite  certain  they  had  settled  it  among  themselves. 

We  were  all  sorry  to  have  them  go.  Mr.  Palmer 
had  remained,  and  joined  them  on  their  return- 
trip.  Mr.  Pryor  and  Mr.  Bradford  both  found  an 
important  errand  to  take  them  to  the  city.  The 
girls  insisted  that  there  should  be  another  splendid 
week  in  the  autumn.  Gertie  Fisher,  we  knew,  was 
to  be  married.  Her  lover  was  buyer  for  a  New- York 
house,  and  was  now  abroad ;  so  there  might  be  one 
less. 

It  seemed  quite  lonely  that  evening,  for,  strangely 
enough,  no  one  dropped  in ;  but  we  had  the 
inexpressible  pleasure  of  going  to  bed  early.  In 
fact,  we  had  been  dreadfully  dissipated. 

Frank  Gaylord  had  written  to  ask  if  he  and 
Estradura  might  come  over  on  Sunday  afternoon, 
and  Helen  had  replied  in  the  affirmative.  So  we 
were  not  likely  to  be  utterly  deserted.  The  quiet 
Saturday  was  a  real  pleasure.  We  looked  after  our 
young  chickens.  I  trimmed  and  tied  up  vines,  and 
took  account  of  stock,  as  one  might  say. 

On  Monday,  Eve  had  an  express  parcel  with  the 
jolliest  of  letters  signed  by  the  whole  five  girls,  who 
had  endowed  her  with  enough  table-napery  to  last 


188  A  MODERN  ADAM   AND  EVE 

a   lifetime,    or   furnish   the    hotel.      They   strongly 
suggested  the  latter. 

We  liked  Miss  Gaylord  very  much.  She  and 
Frank  were  the  youngest  of  a  large  family,  all 
married  and  scattered,  save  these  two,  who  were  still 
under  the  guardianship  of  an  uncle,  who  had  been 
like  a  father  to  them.  Helen  had  a  small  portion  of 
seven  thousand  dollars  well  invested,  and  was  about 
twenty;  not  quite  such  a  madcap  as  some  of  the 
others,  and  a  very  pleasant  companion.  Frank  was 
two  years  younger,  a  bright,  smart  business  fellow. 
When  we  came  to  see  Estradura  again,  we  were 
much  pleased.  He  was  a  fine  musician,  read  French 
and  Italian  beautifully.  I  had  half  a  fancy  that  he 
was  smitten  by  Miss  Gaylord,  at  which  suggestion 
Eve  smiled  a  little. 


189 


CHAPTER   XI 

SUMMER   AND    SENTIMENT 

OUR  next  excitement  was  getting  Mrs.  Wilbur's 
house  furnished.  I  wondered  why  everybody,  old, 
young,  middle-aged,  or  between^  came  to  Eve  for 
counsel,  suggestion,  and  approval.  Mrs.  Wilbur 
carried  her  off  to  New  York  two  days  to  help  her 
select  furniture.  Every  thing  was  to  be  light,  airy, 
cheap,  she  said,  but  not  as  Eve  and  I  counted  cheap 
ness.  There  were  willow,  bamboo,  splint  chairs; 
rugs ;  bed-room  suites  in  maple  and  ash,  and  they 
were  plain.  The  furniture  was  not  to  be  removed  in 
the  winter. 

For  compensation  Mrs.  Wilbur  insisted  that  Eve 
should  take  her  dressmaker  for  two  days,  and  this 
was  a  wonderful  relief.  The  painting-class  met 
again,  and  Helen  was  much  interested  in  it.  She 
was  delicately  helpful  in  many  ways.  Mr.  Pryor 
was  their  gallant,  of  course. 

I  found  a  great  deal  to  do  in  my  garden.  Weeds 
grew  apace,  though  Joe  had  a  curious  knack  of  ex 
terminating  them.  As  my  raspberries  ceased  bearing, 
I  cut  out  the  old  canes,  which  made  quite  a  thinning, 


190  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

and  trimmed  back  young  shoots.  I  cut  out  a  multi 
tude  of  young  currants,  and  made  a  new  bed  of  them 
in  a  rather  shady  place,  to  see  if  I  could  root  them. 
Our  chickens  throve  nicely.  We  had  been  culling 
out  the  cockerels,  and  using  them  up,  and  very  nice 
we  found  them.  The  horse,  too,  proved  a  great  satis 
faction.  I  gave  the  stable,  and  Joe  the  care ;  for  we 
used  it  the  most,  I  found.  The  food  we  supplied  by 
thirds ;  and  it  proved  not  at  all  onerous,  as  she  was 
an  easy  keeper. 

We  heard  from  the  girls.  It  was  very  jolly  at 
Lake  George.  Mr.  Palmer's  camping-party  was  just 
magnificent.  If  Eve  could  only  be  there !  couldn't 
she,  wouldn't  she,  come  ?  Then  Mrs.  Harwood  wrote. 
She  would  be  ready  for  Eve  on  the  10th  of  August, 
and  would  like  to  keep  her  a  fortnight. 

"  That  falls  in  right  with  the  painting  and  every 
thing,"  said  Eve.  "  Some  of  the  music-scholars  will 
stop  now ;  but  after  all,  I  seem  to  have  about  as 
much  pleasure  as  work." 

"  You  make  pleasure  out  of  every  thing,"  I  replied. 

Then  a  new  application  surprised  us.  Mr.  Estra- 
dura  came  over  one  day  to  beseech  Eve  to  open  her 
hospitable  home,  and  take  him  in.  A  friend  was  to 
spend  some  months  in  New  York  to  learn  the  lan 
guage,  and  perfect  himself  in  American  ways ;  and 
they  desired  to  board  together  in  some  pretty  coun- 


.  IN   A   GARDEN 

try-place  for  six  weeks  or  so,  and  he  had  seen  noth 
ing  he  liked  so  well  as  this  place  and  the  woods  up 
beyond.  His  friend  was  something  of  an  artist,  and 
he  would  be  delighted  with  the  scenery,  the  home, 
the  quiet ;  and  if  they  might  have  the  horse  a  little 
now  and  then.  His  friend  had  some  fortune,  and 
was  willing  to  pay  for  all  the  comforts  and  pleasures, 
and  the  piano  would  be  such  a  treat. 

Eve  was  quite  amazed.  We  talked  it  over  in  a 
sort  of  family  conclave.  I  saw  she  had  a  leaning 
toward  it. 

"  But  you  must  go  away,"  I  said.  "  You  shall  not 
toil  and  moil  the  whole  summer." 

"  That  is  all  the  bother.  As  for  the  rest,  they  will 
have  their  breakfast,  and  go  to  the  city,  and  I  shall 
see  nothing  of  them  until  evening.  I  shall  not  be 
expected  to  provide  entertainment  for  them  all  day ; 
and  as  there  will  be  two,  they  can  be  company  for 
each  other." 

"  You  have  worked  enough  for  one  summer." 

"  Well,  I  am  not  much  worn  out,"  and  she  laughed. 
"  I  have  had  a  good  time  so  far.  Then,  the  first  of 
August  the  Wilburs  are  going  away  for  one  or  two 
weeks,  and  I  may  be  lonesome.  No,  to  tell  the  truth," 
and  her  gay  expression  settled  into  soberness,  "  I  do 
think  of  the  money.  There  will  be  quite  a  sum  to 
meet  in  the  fall,  and  I  should  like  to  keep  Letty.  If 


192  A  MODERN  ADAM   AND  EVE 

we  were  alone,  it  would  be  too  great  an  indul 
gence." 

"I  hate  to  have  you  thinking  of  money  all  the 
time ! "  I  declared  warmly.  "  You,  of  all  others, 
must  not  grow  mercenary." 

"Fancy  me  at  the  most  successful  of  watering- 
places,  balancing  the  purses  of  my  admirers,  and 
using  all  my  ingenuity  to  learn  which  is  the  heaviest ! 
There  is  nothing  mercenary  about  that ! " 

"  I  shall  come  to  hate  the  place  "  — 

"  No,  you  will  not,  Adam ; "  and  her  soft  arms  were 
about  my  neck.  "  Every  day  it  fascinates  you  more 
and  more.  Every  shrub,  every  blade  of  grass,  every 
berry,  and  even  the  potatoes,  are  dear  to  you,  and 
have  a  flavor  that  no  others  could  ever  have.  There 
is  something  exhilarating  about  one's  own  home. 
While  I  am  young  and  well,  I  ought  to  help ;  and  I 
love  to  have  people  about  me.  I  was  not  formed  for 
solitude." 

"  I  may  as  well  give  up,"  I  said.  "  You  will  talk 
me  over  to  your  way  of  thinking ;  but  go  to  Saratoga 
you  shall.  It  would  be  ungracious  to  Mrs.  Harwood." 

"  I  shall  surely  go.  Set  your  heart  at  rest.  I  will 
see  if  I  can  figure  out  the  other  matter." 

Estradura  was  very  much  in  earnest.  He  came 
again  one  evening  to  announce  that  his  friend  had 
arrived.  They  were  to  go  to  Manhattan  Beach  for 


193 

several  days,  then  take  a  brief  trip  to  the  Catskills, 
and  wished  to  settle  themselves  as  soon  as  they 
returned.  He  and  Eve  looked  at  the  rooms :  they 
would  have  to  content  themselves  with  one  large  one 
and  a  small  one. 

"  That  will  be  all  right,"  declared  Estradura.  "  I 
will  have  the  small  one,  and  we  can  sit  in  my  friend's 
when  you  do  not  want  us  down-stairs.  You  are  so 
happy  and  gay,  Miss  Thurston,  and  every  thing  is  so 
pleasant,  — the  whole  wide  out  of  doors  as  well.  My 
friend  will  be  charmed." 

Eve  explained  that  she  was  engaged  to  go  away 
for  a  week  or  two.  Could  they  get  along  in  her 
absence  ? 

"  We  shall  miss  you,  of  course,"  and  he  smiled 
flatteringly ;  "  but  even  that  will  not  keep  us  away. 
We  shall  count  on  having  you  afterward." 

So  they  settled  it  at  length,  giving  me  no  voice  in 
the  matter.  They  would  come  the  last  week  in  July. 
Then  Eve  engaged  Mrs.  Banks  to  superintend  Letty 
during  her  absence. 

On  the  top  of  this  arrived  the  most  amusing  letter 
from  Sadie  Brooke.  Mr.  Palmer  was  to  spend  about 
ten  days  in  New  York  on  business,  and  then  return 
to  Lake  George  on  the  5th  of  August.  They  had 
commissioned  him  to  bring  Eve,  and  five  days 
later  she  could  come  down  to  Saratoga.  Mr.  Palmer 


194  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

had  been  bound  by  all  manner  of  solemn  promises, 
threats,  and  warnings,  not  to  venture  into  their 
presence  without  her ;  and  they  would  all  be  dying 
to  see  Mr.  Palmer.  See  what  a  great  commotion  a 
little  obstinacy  on  her  part  would  create ! 

It  was  very  funny,  to  say  the  least.  Every  thing 
did  come  together.  Eve  consulted  Mrs.  Wilbur^ 
who  only  made  matters  worse  by  declaring  they 
would  take  that  for  the  commencement  of  their 
journey,  making  it  all  the  pleasanter  for  Eve. 

"  And  if  it  will  be  any  assistance,"  declared  Helen 
Gaylord,  "  I  will  stay  a  week  or  so  longer,  and  see 
that  the  house  is  not  shrouded  in  gloom  for  your 
absence.  Long  Branch  will  keep." 

It  was  extremely  good  of  her.  Somehow  the  mat 
ter  did  get  settled  harmoniously.  Helen  moved  into 
Eve's  room  :  and  the  two  others  were  garnished  and 
changed  about  for  the  new-comers,  who  were  prompt 
to  the  day,  though  a  note  announced  them.  Mr. 
Estradura's  friend  was  rather  smaller  and  slighter 
than  himself,  but  extremely  pretty,  —  you  could 
apply  no  other  adjective  to  him.  He  talked  very 
broken,  and  was  much  embarrassed  by  his  mistakes, 
flushing  like  a  girl.  But  that  evening  they  sang 
some  Spanish  songs  that  were  enchanting,  and  alto 
gether  it  was  delightful.  After  a  few  days  they 
began  to  feel  very  much  at  home,  and  really  troubled 


IN  A  GAEDETST  195 

no   one.     Indeed,  they  rather   entertained   us   with 
their  exquisite  foreign  ways. 

Every  thing  went  along  smoothly.  Mr.  Palmer 
was  over  at  the  Wilburs's,  who  were  quite  settled 
already.  Eve  was  extremely  busy,  but  Helen  helped 
like  a  sister.  No  evil  befell  us :  it  did  not  rain  on  the 
appointed  day,  and  the  travellers  started  off  in  high 
spirits.  Eve  had  given  everybody  charges.  Mrs. 
Banks  promised  to  come  when  needed.  Joe  declared 
that  he  could  run  the  house  himself,  if  it  were 
necessary. 

But,  oh,  how  lonely  it  was  !  I  wondered  how  I 
could  ever  live  without  Eve  again.  There  seemed 
so  much  time  for  every  thing.  I  looked  after  the 
chickens,  though  Joe  was  much  more  deft  when  it 
came  to  finishing  their  earthly  careers,  and  preparing 
them  for  the  cook.  My  blackberries  were  ripening 
magnificently.  The  Wilburs  had  engaged  two  quarts 
a  day ;  also,  Mrs.  Ten  Eyck,  who  liked  her  new ' 
people  very  well ;  and  several  others  had  spoken  for 
some  to  make  blackberry  brandy,  which  I  thought  I 
should  try  myself. 

Meanwhile  the  new-comers  had  begun  with  their 
factory,  and  in  one  little  spot  Athens  seemed  quite 
awake.  Mr.  Corwin  decided  to  build  two  pretty 
cottages  on  his  ground,  either  for  sale  or  to  rent ; 
and  we  all  had  a  hand  in  the  planning.  He  found 


196  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

he  could  raise  some  money  easily,  after  he  had  them 
started,  as  he  was  resolved  not  to  mortgage  his 
house. 

Miss  Gaylord  did  splendidly,  and  declared  that 
she  needed  no  one  besides  Joe  and  Letty.  I  was 
getting  to  be  quite  a  housekeeper  myself,  and  tried 
to  remember  Eve's  charges.  We  heard  from  her 
nearly  every  day;  and  every  thing  was  just  splendid, 
with  no  end  of  fun.  She  was  afraid  Saratoga  would 
not  be  half  as  nice. 

However,  she  went  on  the  appointed  day,  and  was 
conscience-smitten  that  she  had  fancied  she  might 
not  be  happy.  Mrs.  Harwood  was  delightful.  There 
were  rides  and  sails  on  the  lake ;  parties  and  parlor- 
dances  and  hops ;  arid  she  staid  two  whole  weeks. 
Even  then  Mrs.  Harwood  would  have  kept  her. 
Pryor  had  gone  up  and  spent  one  Sunday,  and  came 
home  rather  fractious,  I  thought. 

Miss  Gaylord  went  away  the  week  before  Eve's 
return,  on  account  of  some  festivities,  at  which  she 
was  needed.  We  did  miss  her  immensely,  but  we 
managed  very  well.  I  had  a  half  feeling,  that,  if 
there  were  no  Eve  in  the  world,  Pryor  might  turn 
in  that  direction.  He  did  promise  to  spend  a  Sunday 
at  Long  Branch. 

I  went  down  to  New  York  to  meet  Eve.  Was 
she  really  prettier  than  ever  ?  —  bright,  arch,  and 


IN  A  GARDEN  197 

vivacious ;  her  cheeks  like  a  peach,  her  eyes  lucent 
as  water-blown  lakes. 

"  And  with  all  the  fun  and  enjoyment,  I  am  so 
glad  to  see  you,"  she  confessed.  "I  have  had  at 
least  one  wish  every  day  to  be  at  home.  Oh,  how 
have  you  managed  ?  and  are  the  Cubans  dis 
gusted  ?  " 

"  Not  a  bit,"  returned  I.  "  What  with  easy-chairs 
out  on  the  lawn,  and  the  hammocks,  and  the  horse, 
I  do  believe  they  fancy  themselves  in  clover.  Letty 
has  not  given  notice,  neither  has  Joe  gone  off;  and 
we  have  had  pears  and  peaches,  and  all  the  luxuries 
of  the  season." 

"  Oh,  how  lovely  it  looks  !  "  she  exclaimed,  as  we 
walked  up  the  hill.  "  O  Adam !  do  you  remember 
the  splendid  walks  of  last  autumn,  and  how  we 
coveted  just  this  particular  house  ?  Why,  I  never 
had  such  a  happy,  satisfying,  pleasure-crowded  year 
in  my  life." 

I  was  glad  to  hear  her  say  so.  She  flew  into  the 
house  like  a  child,  and  could  not  rest  until  she  had 
peeped  into  every  room,  seen  Letty  and  Joe,  and 
run  over  to  the  Wilburs's.  The  place  was  suddenly 
transformed.  She  looked  like  a  sprite  dancing  about 
the  garden,  inspecting  the  chickens,  and  patting 
Bess,  who  seemed  to  give  her  a  most  cordial  greet 
ing.  Yes,  she  was  a  part  of  every  thing,  and  mine. 


198  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

I  was  just  selfish  enough,  in  that  hour,  to  rejoice  that 
no  one  had  any  claim  upon  her. 

Mrs.  Banks  had  come  over  every  afternoon  to  see 
about  the  dinner.  The  breakfasts,  Letty  and  Joe 
managed  admirably ;  though  I  dare  say  Mrs.  Banks 
had  planned  them  out  the  night  before.  And  now 
she  insisted  upon  Miss  Thurston  finishing  her  holi 
day;  so  Eve  disported  herself  in  her  white  dress, 
with  adornings  of  cherry-colored  velvet,  and  ate 
peaches  to  her  heart's  content. 

There  had  also  been  a  harvest-apple,  which  had 
not  done  as  well  as  its  wealth  of  blossoms  promised ; 
but  we  had  enjoyed  it  nevertheless :  and  now  another 
was  ripening,  from  which  we  had  pies  and  sauce. 

I  believe  the  Cubans  enjoyed  Eve's  home-coming 
the  least  of  anybody.  They  seemed  at  first  rather 
embarrassed,  and  went  out  after  dinner,  to  walk  up 
the  road,  and  smoke  their  cigars.  Pryor,  fortunately, 
was  out  of  town,  so  I  had  her  to  myself;  and  we 
looked  over  the  household  books  which  I  had  kept ; 
and  I  related  the  few  ups  and  downs,  while  she 
entertained  me  with  the  delights  of  her  sojourn. 

"  Do  you  know,"  she  said,  "  that  I  am  inclined  to 
predict  a  conquest,  though  I  don't  just  know  which 
will  win  the  crown?  But  Mr.  Palmer  is  hard  hit 
with  Sadie  Brooke,  and  very  much  in  earnest.  Mrs. 
Brooke  admires  him  extremely.  And  if  one  could 


IN  A  GAKDEN  199 

tell  about  Sadie ;  but  I  think  she  is  more  in  love 
than  she  would  like  to  have  any  one  suspect.  Mr. 
Bradford  is  very  —  what  shall  I  say  ?  —  deeply  fasci 
nated.  Indeed,  it  will  be  well  for  the  other  girls 
when  she  makes  her  election :  they  can  have  some 
sort  of  chance." 

"  Even  Pryor  went  down  to  her,  I  suppose  ? "  I 
asked  meaningly. 

"  No,  he  did  not.  I  wish  he  had.  I  was  —  well, 
hateful  to  him  ;  and  I  am  ashamed  of  it.  But  I  don't 
want  him  to  ask  me,  and  I  am  afraid  he  will  never 
be  disenchanted  any  other  way." 

"  Then,  you  may  as  well  have  it  over  with,"  I 
advised. 

"After  all,"  said  Eve  the  next  morning,  "  Athens 
is  beautiful,  — not  wild  or  grand,  but  comfortably 
beautiful.  I  am  sure  I  could  live  here  all  my  life, 
and  take  my  tours  elsewhere." 

After  a  few  days^we  settled  down  into  the  accus 
tomed  routine,  and  then  it  seemed  as  if  the  Cubans 
suddenly  woke  to  the  fact  that  Eve  was  a  charming 
young  woman.  They  coaxed  her  out  on  the  porch  ; 
were  fain  to  give  up  cigar-smoking  for  her  sake. 
They  taught  her  Spanish :  they  sang  to  her  and  with 
her.  Mr.  Cassimera  played  deliciously  on  a  guitar ; 
and  really,  one  might  have  fancied  them  half  in  love 
with  her. 


200  A  MODERN   ADAM  AND  EVE 

All  this  was  flame  to  Pryors  passion. 

"See  here,  Thurston,"  he  exclaimed  huskily  one 
night  as  he  walked  down  to  the  station  with  me, 
"  have  you  no  care  or  thought  for  your  sister  ?  What 
do  you  know  about  those  fellows  ?  They  are  both 
head  over  heels  in  love  with  her,  and  they  may  be 
frauds  and  humbugs ;  and  I  dare  say  they  don't  really 
mean  any  thing  with  all  their  great  fuss/' 

"  All  the  better  for  them  if  they  do  not  mean  any 
thing,"  I  answered.  "I  do  not  think  my  sister's 
heart  is  lightly  won.  Society  women  are  used  to 
making  themselves  agreeable,  and  receiving  atten 
tions  that  in  a  little  place  like  this  would  naturally 
be  more  serious.  They  are  very  gentlemanly." 

"  Hang  it  I  I  don't  care  what  they  are  !  You  have 
had  opportunities  to  know  about  me,  Thurston.  You 
must  have  seen — have  understood"  — 

"  Don't,  Pryor,"  1  interrupted.  "  I  would  save 
you  any  pain  that  I  could.  Use  your  own  eyes. 
What  has  she  done  to  encourage  more  than  a  friendly 
regard  ?  " 

"Well,  I  love  her.  It  is  out  now.  And  you  have 
a  good  deal  of  influence  over  her.  She  feels  bound 
to  you  —  about  the  place,  I  mean,  but  if  she  were 
quite  free  —  and  I  like  you  so  well,  Thurston,  that 
no  brother  could  be  dearer.  Why  can  we  not  all  pull 
together  ?  Come,  do  not  stand  in  my  way.  Heaven 


IN   A    GARDEN  201 

knows  I  would  lay  down  my  life  for  your  sister  if 
she  needed  it!  Give  me  a  brotherly  speeding  in 
this  matter." 

I  had  tried  hard  to  shield  Eve  from  an  occasion 
like  this,  but  I  had  never  imagined  the  sweet  old 
story  might  be  told  to  me  in  such  a  desperate  fashion. 
What  would  Eve  do  if  she  were  here  ?  What  if  she 
had  an  underlying  strand  of  tenderness  for  him? 
Yet  it  seemed  as  if  I  knew  her  heart. 

"  I  am  afraid  it  is  of  no  use,  Pryor,"  I  said ;  and  I 
felt  heartily,  deeply  sorry  for  him.  "  So  far  as  I  am 
concerned,  I  could  give  you  a  brother's  welcome 
any  day,  or  a  God-speed  ,  but  I  think  it  is  hopeless. 
Eve  doesn't  care  to  marry.  She  likes  a  young  girl's 
good  time.  She  has  not "  —  how  should  I  say  it  with 
out  hurting  him  ?  —  "  she  does  not  mean  to  encourage 
any  one."  Then  the  past  came  into  my  mind  like  a 
flash.  Would  it  help  her  here  ?  "  There  was  some 
thing  in  her  life  a  while  ago  —  it  is  her  secret,  and  I 
have  no  right  even  to  hint  at  it ;  but  I  may  say  it  will 
keep  her  from  all  such  matters  at  present.  They 
would  be  distasteful  to  her." 

"  But  I  would  wait  —  she  is  not  engaged,  tell 
me  that ! "  and  his  voice  trembled  with  fateful 
anticipation. 

"  She  is  not  engaged,  but  as  little  will  she  desire  to 
listen  to  lovers  at  present.  If  you  must  try  your 


202  A   MODERN  ADAM  AND   EVE 

fate,  Pryor,  I  will  not  stand  in  your  way ;  but  I  warn 
you  it  will  be  hopeless.  Watch  her  closely.  If  you 
can  detect  the  slightest  sign  of  encouragement "  — 

Pryor  sighed.  We  had  reached  the  station,  and 
the  train  came  in.  Then  I  locked  my  office. 

"  There  never  was  such  a  happy  time  as  last  win 
ter,"  he  said,  with  a  lingering  intonation  that  pierced 
me.  "  I  have  never  seen  anybody  that  I  liked  so 
well.  Thurston,  I  can't  even  bear  to  say  good-night 
to  you ;  for  you  are  so  near  and  dear  to  her,  that,  if  I 
did  not  love  you  so  well,  I  should  hate  you  bitterly. 
But  in  all  truth  you  could  not  be  so  false-hearted  as 
to  influence  her  against  me  "  — 

"  No,  no  !  "  I  cried.  "  Test  her  yourself.  If  you 
win  any  thing  beyond  a  friendly  recognition  —  " 

"  Good-night! "  he  exclaimed  abruptly,  and  plunged 
down  the  street. 

I  walked  slowly  homeward.  Eve  was  in  the  ham 
mock  ;  and  the  two  young  men  were  singing,  with  a 
guitar  accompaniment. 

"  Isn't  it  delicious  ?  '  said  Joe  from  a  seat  on  the 
terrace-grass. 

They  dispersed  presently  with  a  kindly  good-night. 
We  sauntered  around  in  doors. 

"Eve,'  I  began,  "have  you  been  taking  lessons  of 
Sadie  Brooke  ?  ' 

"  I  am  afraid  there  was  some  one  before  that,  and 


IN  A  GARDEN  203 

then  long  before  that,"  she  answered  with  a  laugh. 
"  After  all,  why  shouldn't  we  enjoy  ourselves  ?  Sum 
mers  are  fleeting.  I  do  not  want  them  to  fall  in  love 
with  me  —  and  I  try  in  certain  ways  —  O  Adam !  do 
I  flirt  ?  I  sometimes  feel  as  if  I  were  getting  cross 
and  old-maidish  —  when  Pryor  is  here.  I  wonder  — 
oh !  what  makes  you  so  solemn  ?  I  will  shut  myself 
up  in  a  convent,  I  will  put  on  a  cap  and  glasses,  but 
you  must  love  me  and  be  tender." 

"  It  is  about  Pryor,"  I  said.     "  Let  me  tell  you." 

I  drew  her  to  the  corner  of  the  sofa,  and  repeated 
nearly  all  of  the  conversation.  For  a  moment  or  two 
she  was  silent. 

"Oh  !  "  I  cried,  "  could  you  care  for  him,  love  him 
in  time  ?  " 

"No:  I  do  not  think  I  could  love  him  dearly, 
could  want  him  for  my  husband  ;  and  it  ought  to  be 
the  strongest  of  all  preference.  I  like  him,  I  could 
be  good  friends  if  it  were  not  for  this  regard  that 
now  keeps  me  all  the  while  on  the  defensive.  I  am 
so  glad  you  told  him.  Life  is  delightful  with  you, 
Adam,  and  you  are  so  good  to  me." 

"  Still,  when  you  do  love,  you  must  not  let  me 
stand  in  the  way." 

She  gave  me  a  tender  kiss,  many  of  them  indeed. 

The  next  day,  Pryor  was  called  to  a  neighboring 
State  by  the  illness  of  his  mother,  and  was  gone  over 


204  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

a  week.  Still,  there  was  no  lack  of  visitors  to  sit  on 
the  porch  during  the  lovely  summer  evenings.  And 
so  August  drew  to  a  close,  and  September  came  in. 

One  day  —  it  was  the  first  week  in  September  when 
a  curious  incident  happened.  The  3.10  train  came 
up  from  the  city,  and  there  were  only  two  passen 
gers  to  get  off.  One  was  a  common,  middle-aged 
man ;  the  other  a  rather  slim,  compact-looking  young 
lady,  in  a  soft  gray  dress,  a  gray  straw  hat  with  a 
great  cluster  of  nasturtiums  on  the  brim,  hanging 
about  on  their  long,  light  green  stems.  We  had  a 
large  mound  of  them  in  all  colors,  and  these  looked 
as  fresh  as  the  real  ones  in  our  garden. 

She  walked  down  the  platform  rather  slowly.  I 
thought  of  Joe,  and  wondered  if  she  would  like  to 
ride.  I  came  along  behind  her;  and  just  after  the 
steps,  she  turned. 

"  I  wonder,"  she  began  in  a  soft,  cultured  voice, 
—  how  I  remarked  all  these  little  things  now,  —  "I 
wonder  if  you  could  tell  me  where  a  Miss  Thurston 
lives,  — a  Miss  Eve  Thurston? " 

"  Yes,"  I  answered.  "  Turn  straight  up  this 
street." 

I  walked  along  —  not  right  in  range,  but  at  a 
"  respectful  distance." 

This  was  some  one  I  had  not  seen  before.  Eve 
had  mentioned  several  new  acquaintances  made  at 


IN  A  GARDEN"  205 

Lake  George  and  Saratoga,  and  one  especially,  a 
youngish  married  woman,  who  had  begged  permis 
sion  to  visit  her.  This  lady  might  be  two  or  three 
and  twenty,  certainly  not  older.  There  was  some 
thing  yery  interesting  about  her,  though  she  was 
sweet  and  gracious  rather  than  beautiful.  Her  eyes 
were  a  clear  blue,  a  color  seldom  seen  out  of  child 
hood,  large,  serious,  frank  in  certain  respects,  but 
with  a  steadiness  that  impressed  you.  The  complex 
ion  was  clear  and  somewhat  pale  ;  the  hair  of  a  rather 
flaxeny  brown,  instead  of  golden  tints,  and  abundant 
if  one  could  judge  by  the  great  coil  worn  low  down 
in  the  nape  of  her  neck. 

She  made  a  little  halt.     "  Is  it  far?"  she  asked. 

"  Oh,  no  !  just  above,  on  that  hill." 

She  glanced  up  toward  it. 

"How  odd,  to  call  a  little  village  like  this,  Athens ! " 
and  she  smiled. 

"  We  have  the  old  names  in  the  New  World." 

"  And  Mount  Ida,  and  shepherds  with  their  crooks, 
and  their  sheep  browsing  —  or  I  believe  it  is  goats 
that  browse.  When  I  was  a  little  girl,  I  was  taught 
that  sheep  nibbled ;  and  it  seems  to  express  their 
fashion  of  eating." 

I  laughed  at  the  conceit.  I  don't  know  why,  but  I 
was  glad  to  have  her  a  friend  of  my  sister. 

"  Goats  still  seem  to  be  in  fashion,"  I  said  ;  for  just 


206  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

then  we  saw  two  tethered  in  a  small  patch  of  ground. 
"  But  we  have  no  shepherds." 

She  halted  a  moment,  and  half  turned.  There  was 
a  polite  inquiry  in  her  face.  Was  she  wondering 
why  I  followed  her  ? 

"  Fortunately,  my  sister  is  at  home  this  afternoon," 
I  announced,  congratulating  myself  on  so  bright  a 
thought. 

"  Your  sister  ?    Is  Miss  Thurston  your  sister  ?  " 

My  evil  genius  prompted  me  to  reply,  "  Madam, 
I'm  Adam ; "  but  a  kind  of  astonishment  seized  me, 
that  she  could  have  met  Eve,  and  known  her,  and  not 
have  heard  of  me.  My  brotherly  vanity  was  wounded. 

"Yes,"  I  answered,  opening  the  gate. 

She  seemed  to  hesitate.  I  was  sorry  that  Eve  was 
not  on  the  porch  in  her  soft  white  gown.  I  invited 
her  within ;  and  she  came  slowly,  casting  questioning 
glances  around. 

"I  will  sit  here,"  she  said,  pausing  in  the  wide 
hall,  our  reception-room.  "Tell  Miss  Thurston  a 
lady,  a  stranger,  wishes  to  see  her." 

I  obeyed  her  behest. 

"  Oh,  goodness ! "  cried  Eve ;  "  you  do  not  think 
her  an  agent  or  a  canvasser,  do  you?" 

"  No,"  I  said  positively.  Then  I  laughed.  "  She 
is  artistic." 

"  And  aesthetic.     Green  gown  and  all  that  ?  " 


IN  A  GARDEN  207 

"  Gray  gown.  Heavenly  blue  eyes.  Not  quite  as 
tall  as  you." 

Eve  threw  off  a  kitchen-apron,  and  stood  arrayed 
in  white.  Giving  some  charges  to  Letty,  she  passed 
through  the  rooms.  I  went  out  to  the  barn,  for  I 
was  patching  up  my  chicken-house  to  make  it  good 
and  warm;  and  Joe  and  I  had  made  plans  for  a 
greenhouse.  We  had  been  gathering  stones  to  lay 
a  wall,  and  the  mason  had  explained  to  Joe  how  to 
make  mortar  for  laying  them.  It  really  would  not  be 
much  more  than  an  extensive  cold-frame,  sheltered 
by  the  barn. 

Of  course  I  thought  of  Eve's  visitor.  She  had  not 
gone  away  when  train-time  drew  nigh.  Joe  was 
going  down  with  the  wagon  to  meet  a  passenger. 


208 


THEY  came  out  to  the  garden  in  a  strangely  famil 
iar  way.  I  wonder  what  I  would  have  said  or  done 
if  I  could  have  seen  what  those  two  girls  were  to  be 
to  each  other  in  the  years  to  come ! 

They  walked  up  towards  me.  I  brushed  the  debris 
off  my  clothes. 

"My  friend,  Miss  Hildreth,"  announced  Eve. 
"  My  brother,  Mr.  Thurston." 

Miss  Hildreth  smiled  and  bowed,  and  we  plunged 
at  once  into  an  amusing  conversation. 

"  Come  and  find  me  some  nice  peaches  and  pears," 
said  Eve.  "I  see  some  lovely  ones  that  I  cannot 
reach." 

I  obeyed.  We  rambled  around  and  talked.  I  felt 
like  quite  an  old  friend,  since  Eve  was  so  informal 
with  Miss  Hildreth.  We  discussed  flowers  and  fruit 
and  locations,  and  drives  about  the  country,  and 
sunsets ;  and  then,  looking  at  her  watch,  she  declared 
that  her  time  was  up,  and  her  train  would  soon  be  en 
route  for  the  city. 


IN  A   GARDEN  209 

"Adam  will  go  down  with  you,"  my  sister  said. 
"  And  you  will  be  sure  to  come  over  for  the  day,  — 
let  it  be  early  next  week,  —  and  we  will  have  a 
most  delightful  drive  about  the  by-ways  and  hid 
den  nooks." 

I  put  on  my  "  other  "  coat,  and  escorted  Miss  Hil- 
dreth,  put  her  on  board  the  train.  In  fifteen  minutes 
the  up-train  was  due,  and  the  rest  of  our  household 
would  arrive.  I  was  all  curiosity  to  hear  about  Miss 
Hildreth,  yet  there  was  nothing  but  patience. 

Estradura  and  Cassimera  leaped  lightly  from  the 
train.  They  were  such  agile,  graceful,  well-mannered 
young  men.  I  had  some  parcels  to  look  after,  but 
Joe  came ;  and  I  hurried  up  home  just  in  time  for 
the  dainty  dinner,  which  certainly  was  as  well  served 
as  that  of  the  first  Eve. 

One  event  after  another  occurred.  It  was  ten 
o'clock  before  I  had  Eve  a  moment  to  myself. 

"  It  is  too  utterly  funny,"  she  said.  "  You  are 
dying  with  curiosity  to  know  about  Miss  Hildreth. 
I  can  see  it  in  every  line  of  your  face.  She  is  an 
artist,  and  has  a  studio  in  New  York ;  paints  pic 
tures,  gives  lessons,  has  one  brother  —  isn't  it  queer, 
there  are  only  two  of  them,  and  two  of  us  ?  But  he 
is  in  South  America,  making  a  fortune ;  and  I  have 
you  here  safe  and  sound,  and  shall  never,  never  let 
you  leave  me."  With  this,  Eve  clasped  her  arms 


210  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

about  my  neck,  and  kissed  me  tenderly.  "Well, 
where  was  I  ?  Oh  !  —  this  is  the  oddest  —  is  there  a 
curious  kind  of  fate  or  presentiment?  She,  Miss  Hil- 
dreth,  was  going  up  the  Hudson  one  day  early  in 
July,  and  there  was  a  merry  party  on  board  that 
interested  her  extremely.  Once  they  were  sitting 
quite  close  together ;  and  they  were  talking  about 
Athens,  the  beautiful  walks  and  drives,  and  wishing 
they  were  artists.  They  mentioned  Eve  Thurston, 
and  she  thought  it  such  a  peculiar  name  ;  and  she 
gathered  from  their  chatter  that  they  had  been  stay 
ing  with  this  Miss  Thurston,  so  she  imagined  it  was 
a  delightful  old  country-house  where  boarders  were 
taken  in  the  summer ;  and  she  fancied  Miss  Thurston 
one  of  those  fascinating  women  of  about  forty,  who 
always  attract  young  people  to  them.  Think  of 
that !  "  and  Eve  laughs  merrily.  "  But,  you  know, 

» 

she  only  heard  snatches,  and  not  a  coherent  conver 
sation.  It  lingered  in  her  mind,  and  she  resolved  to 
hunt  me  up.  She  has  orders  for  two  landscapes, 
'  Autumns',  one  about  a  month  later  than  the  other, 
and  one  with  a  river.  So  she  came  over  to-day,  and 
found  me,  and  actually  said  '  My  dear  child '  to  me. 
That  was  simply  delicious,"  and  Eve  laughs  again. 
"Well,  the  end  of  this  marvellous  and  improbable 
story  is,  that  we  like  each  other,  and  she  is  coming 
over  one  day  next  week,  and  we  will  drive  around 


IN   A   GARDEN  211 

to  hunt  up  cosey  nooks.  How  I  shall  tease  the 
girls !  " 

I  was  silent,  revolving  Miss  Hildreth's  strange 
entrance  into  our  world. 

"  She  was  very  nice,"  continued  Eve.  "  She  gave 
me  some  references  in  a  quiet  business  way,  as  if  she 
was  not  afraid.  She  boards  with  a  cousin  of  her 
mother,  a  charming  elderly  person  whose  description 
suggested  Mrs.  Harwood  to  my  mind.  And  I  must 
say  I  like  her,  although  I  do  know  there  are  frauds 
and  adventurers  in  the  world." 

"  She  is  no  fraud  ! "  I  declared  indignantly. 

"  Then,  she  impressed  you  favorably.  I  am  glad  of 
that,  for  you  ought  to  be  wiser  than  I,  Adam.  Still, 
we  will  —  why,  we  will  trust  her,  unless  she  tells 
some  awful  story,  or  does  something  very  naughty. 
Now  we  must  both  go  to  bed  and  dream  about  her. 
Would  it  not  be  funny  if  she  never  came  again  ?  " 

We  both  laughed  heartily  at  that. 

I  do  not  think  I  dreamed  of  Miss  Hildreth,  but 
I  thought  of  her  a  long  while  before  I  fell  asleep.  I 
could  see  her  large,  clear  eyes  through  the  dusk,  and 
the  very  atmosphere  seemed  touched  and  penetrated 
with  her  voice. 

We  talked  of  it  the  next  day,  and  somehow  it 
had  a  very  incredible  air. 

But  we  were  busy  enough  planning  and  consider- 


212  A  MODERN   ADAM   AND   EVE 

ing.  There  was  fruit  to  can  and  preserve.  We 
would  have  more  pears  than  we  could  use,  and  more 
peaches  ;  but  we  found  ready  customers  in  the  Wil 
burs.  Joe  was  laying  out  their  garden,  and  had 
reduced  their  blackberries  to  order.  My  currant- 
slips  had  rooted  nicely,  so  we  gave  them  a  row  of 
currants,  and,  later,  were  to  transplant  some  of  our 
over-abundant  shrubbery.  Mr.  Randall  came  down 
to  ask  my  advice.  The  neighbors  about  us  seemed 
to  think  we  had  such  a  wonderful  garden.  How  did 
I  do  it,  one  and  another  inquired ;  and  even  Mr. 
Montgomery  ceased  to  sneer  at  book-learning  and 
experiments. 

Miss  Hildreth  sent  a  card,  specifying  the  day  of 
her  visit.  The  weather  was  still  warm;  but  there 
had  been  a  little  rain  the  evening  before,  and  the 
roads  were  in  an  excellent  condition.  I  found 
myself  watching  eagerly  for  her  train.  The  acquaint 
ance  had  a  flavor  of  the  unusual  in  it,  a  touch  akin 
to  the  occult.  That  she  should  have  hunted  up 
Eve  and  Athens  just  because  the  names  had  taken 
her  fancy ! 

We  found  her  quite  as  charming  as  on  her  first 
call.  I  say  we.  I  escorted  her  up  to  the  pretty  house, 
where  some  late  wistaria  and  Chinese  honeysuckle 
were  in  bloom,  and  no  end  of  sal  via  and  foliage- 
plants.  Somehow,  every  thing  had  grown  so  abun- 


IN  A  GARDEN  213 

dantly  with  us.  I  could  hardly  convince  myself 
that  it  was  the  neglected  old  Cassel  place. 

"  How  beautiful  it  is !  "  Miss  Hildreth  said,  paus 
ing.  "  Mr.  Thurston,  you  should  be  a  gardener  or 
florist.  You  have  the  divine  inspiration." 

"  I  think  much  of  the  credit  due  my  sister,"  I 
answered.  "  She  has  the  exquisite  ideas." 

"  If  I  were  not  an  artist,  I  should  want  to  be 
a  florist.  The  height  of  my  ambition  is  to  own  a 
greenhouse." 

I  smiled.  Eve  came  out  to  welcome  her  friend. 
Joe  had  the  carriage  ready.  They  were  to  go  in  the 
morning,  as  Joe  had  an  engagement  to  drive  two  old 
ladies  out  at  two  o'clock. 

They  had,  it  seems,  a  delightful  time,  and  were 
hungry  enough  when  they  reached  home,  allowing 
Joe  just  ten  minutes'  grace.  We  had  a  merry 
luncheon,  then  Miss  Hildreth  inspected  the  farm 
with  Eve,  and  they  went  over  to  Mrs.  Wilbur's.  I 
had  to  pay  attention  to  business,  but  I  took  one 
little  walk  with  them  down  to  the  river's  edge.  Miss 
Hildreth  was  very  fond  of  sailing  or  rowing,  —  was 
quite  handy  with  the  oars  herself.  We  coaxed  her  to 
remain  to  dinner ;  but  she  had  promised  to  be  back 
by  dusk,  and  we  were  forced  to  exchange  a  reluctant 
good-by.  She  was  such  an  agreeable  companion. 
While  $he  had  decided  views  on  many  points,  she 


214  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

was  so  gracious  and  liberal-minded ;  and  the  girls 
found  that  their  tastes  in  reading  were  much  alike, 
though  Miss  Hildreth  had  gone  deeper  in  the 
classics.  Music  she  knew  very  little  about,  but  was 
extremely  fond  of  it. 

"Still,  I  understood  that  I  could  not  do  every 
thing,"  she  said.  "  I  wanted  to  take  care  of  myself, 
and  I  did  have  a  decided  talent  for  all  kinds  of  art 
work.  I  shall  probably  never  be  very  famous,  but 
I  shall  try  to  make  myself  happy  with  what  I.  can 
do." 

"We  are  wonderfully  alike,"  declared  Eve  after 
ward.  "  Miss  Hildreth  and  her  brother  have  planned 
to  live  together,  and  he  is  so  fond  of  country  life. 
His  ideal  is  to  have  a  pretty  country  home.  He 
went  to  South  America  three  years  ago,  with  a 
friend ;  and  they  thought,  in  five  years,  they  would 
make  quite  a  fortune.  But  somehow  their  plans 
have  not  worked ;  that  is,  they  are  not  very  rich  yet. 
Miss  Hildreth  wants  him  to  come  home.  She  is 
quite  enchanted  with  our  plans,  and  the  way  we  are 
managing.  Wouldn't  it  be  funny  if  they  came  to 
Athens  to  settle  ?  And,  O  Adam !  she  wants  to 
come  over  to  board  for  a  fortnight  or  so.  Her  aunt 
owns  a  house  in  New  York,  which  she  rents  fur 
nished,  reserving  some  of  the  rooms,  and  taking  her 
meals  with  the  family.  She  is  going  away  for^everal 


IN  A  GARDEN  215 

weeks.  You  see,  we  will  have  to  come  to  the  hotel ; " 
and  Eve  laughed. 

"  You  are  so  attractive." 

"  I  let  people  pretty  well  alone  :  I  think  that  must 
be  it,"  she  answered  gayly. 

"  Have  the  Cubans  said  any  thing  about  going  ?  " 

"  Not  a  word.  They  are  sure  to  stay  all  this 
month.  Mrs.  Harwood  was  to  come.  And,  O 
Adam  !  the  tax-paper  came  in.  We  must  look  over 
our  assets  and  liabilities." 

I  sighed. 

"  Well,  we  have  had  a  good  time,"  was  her  consol 
ing  rejoinder.  "  And,  Adam,  I  think  we  have  done  a 
little  good.  I  am  so  proud  of  Joe,  so  pleased  about 
him.  Have  you  any  idea  how  much  money  he  has 
saved  ?  " 

"  No,"  I  answered. 

"  He  set  out  to  put  by  two  dollars  a  week,  just 
what  he  thought  he  would  be  sure  to  drink  up  under 
other  circumstances.  And  he  has  done  better  than 
that.  He  has  over  forty  dollars,  and  a  very  credit 
able  wardrobe.  He  wants  to  buy  Bess  of  Mr.  Pryor. 
She  cost  seventy-two  dollars." 

"  She  would  be  a  good  bargain  for  that,  but  Pryor 
believes  in  making  money  as  well.  Bess  is  an  easy 
keeper.  I  don't  know  whether  Joe  would  find  her 
profitable  in  the  winter." 


216  A  MODEKN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

There  was  a  soft,  wistful  light  in  Eve's  eyes. 

"  I  suppose,"  she  said  slowly,  "that  there  are  a 
good  many  boys  and  young  men  who  might  be  saved 
and  made  useful  members  of  society.  And  I  wonder 
how  many  young  men  in  Athens  have  saved  any 
money  this  summer  ?  " 

"  Dan  Montgomery  hasn't,  for  one." 

"  And  a  good  many  of  them  are  idling  about. 
Why  can  they  not  take  up  life  in  real  earnest  ?  " 

"  I  think  it  may  be  because  they  haven't  you 
standing  right  behind  them,"  and  I  laughed. 

Eve  blushed  brightly. 

The  third  week  in  September  we  went  over  our 
business  for  the  last  six  months,  counting  assets  up 
to  the  first  of  the  month.  It  stood  in  this  manner :  — 

My  salary  for  six  months $270 

Eve's  painting-class 50 

Music-scholars 110 

Paintings  and  fancy  articles  sold 17 

Mrs.  West's  board $64 

Mrs.  Harwood 16 

Miss  Gaylord      « "...  20 

Estradura 40 

Cassimera  ... .  40 


To  this  we  were  able  to   add  $16  for  fruit  sold. 
It  made  a  total  of  $643.     Out  of  this  we  had  spent 


IN  A  GARDEN  217 

for  furnishing  and  repairs.  Then  we  went  over 
our  chicken  account.  We  had  bought  ten  hens  and 
nine  dozen  eggs ;  and  three  dozen  eggs  had  been 
given  to  us.  Out  of  one  hundred  and  seventeen 
eggs,  we  had  raised  one  hundred  and  three  chickens. 
The  food  that  I  had  bought  had  cost  me  $26,  mak 
ing  a  total  of  $33.25.  We  had  had  from  our  hens, 
after  raising  their  broods,  thirteen  dozen  eggs,  which, 
at  the  prices  averaging,  had  been  worth  $3.25. 
We  had  used  fifty-seven  chickens  and  two  of  our 
hens,  which  at  forty  cents  apiece,  a  low  estimate, 
would  have  cost  us  $23.60.  Our  forty-six  young 
chickens  and  eight  hens  now  stood  us  in  $6.40..  If 
we  could  make  them  lay  through  the  winter,  then 
would  come  the  profit  on  eggs.  I  had  sixteen  beau 
tiful  white  Leghorn  pullets.  These  I  kept  by  them 
selves.  The  others  ran  together.  All  our  cockerels 
had  been  culled  out  except  two. 

We  found  that  after  our  living  and  incidentals 
were  subtracted,  we  had  just  $201.  The  interest 
was  $126,  our  tax  $34.  Then,  at  the  1st  of  Septem 
ber  we  would  have  a  balance  of  $41  in  our  favor. 

I  glanced  up  at  Eve.  "  That  is  not  getting  rich 
very  rapidly,"  I  said  rather  ruefully.  "  At  this  rate, 
we  shall  get  our  house  paid  for  —  when  ?  " 

"We  have  done  a  good  deal  of  furnishing  this 
year,  remember.  We  can  save  at  least  a  hundred 


218  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

dollars  on  that  next  year.  And  there  have  been 
repairs  "  — 

"  And  the  house  must  be  painted  by  next  spring. 
It  is  very  hard  to  get  ahead  on  a  little  money  —  a 
low  salary.  What  a  pittance  forty-five  dollars  a 
month  really  is ! " 

"  But  you  have  done  so  much  besides.  Why,  the 
house  and  grounds  are  improved  beyond  compare. 
And  we  have  lived  —  well,  quite  stylishly." 

At  that  Eve  bridles  up,  and  gives  me  her  most 
bewitching  smile.  Still,  I  can  hardly  be  appeased. 

"  I  don't  know  when  we  will  get  the  house  paid 
for,"  I  say  disconsolately. 

"  There  is  one  thing  —  I  think  we  can  always  sell 
at  some  advance.  See  how  much  Athens  has 
improved  in  a  year.  We  did  buy  cheaply;  and, 

0  Adam !  we  have  had  a  delightful  home." 

"  My  dear  girl,  you  are  better  than  gold,"  I  say 
with  a  tender  kiss.  "  But  think  of  the  money  you 
have  earned ! " 

"  And  think  of  the  pleasure  I  have  had.  Saratoga, 
Lake  George,  picnics  and  every  thing.  And  now 

1  have  begun  with  four  new  music-scholars,  and  I 
shall  try  to  do  some  pretty  Christmas  work.   There'll 
be  no  class  to  take  painting-lessons,  I  am  afraid,  but  I 
will  manage  some  way.     Dear  Adam,  don't  get  blue 
or  discouraged.     It  seems  as  if  we  had  a  good  many 


IN  A  GARDEN  219 

blessings.  We  are  not  rich,  and  perhaps  never  will 
be  ;  but  we  will  get  all  the  joy  we  can  out  of  life." 

A  few  days  after,  Eve  and  Mrs.  Wilbur  went 
down  to  the  city,  and  called  on  Miss  Hildreth.  She 
shared  a  studio  with  a  pleasant,  middle-aged  woman, 
a  Mrs.  Raymond,  who  painted  china,  tapestry,  plush, 
and  satin,  and  had  some  exquisite  work  on  hand. 
Indeed,  they  were  quite  fascinated  with  the  latter. 

There  was  no  question  but  that  Miss  Hildreth  had 
told  the  truth  about  herself,  curious  as  the  episode 
appeared.  Eve  was  delighted,  and  had  actually 
agreed  for  her  to  come. 

"  She  insisted  upon  taking  the  little  room,  if  Mrs. 
Harwood  should  come,"  said  Eve.  "  And  she  thinks 
she  will  stay  a  month.  She  likes  October  in  the 
country.  O  Adam  !  I  wonder  if  we  cannot  get  one 
or  two  rooms  finished  off  up-stairs  by  another  sum 
mer  ?  I  wish  the  house  was  twice  as  large.  I  should 
keep  it  full  all  the  time.  One  turns  the  fruit  and 
vegetables  right  over  to  profit,  —  the  chickens  and 
every  thing." 

Eve  certainly  was  a  happy  housekeeper. 

I  must  put  in  a  word  about  our  hand-maiden, 
Letty.  She  was  absolutely  bewitched  with  Eve,  and 
she  was  an  ambitious  girl  as  well.  Music  she  seemed 
to  have  in  her  soul,  as  well  as  her  finger-ends.  She 
did  not  mean  to  go  back  to  school,  and  she  did  want 


220  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

to  stay  with  us.  Her  mother  desired  her  to  learn 
dressmaking.  However,  it  was  presently  settled  that 
she  was  to  remain  with  us  through  the  winter  at  low 
wages,  go  on  with  her  music,  and  Eve  was  to  teach 
her  somewhat  in  sewing. 

Mrs.  Harwood  managed  to  get  round  to  us  the  last 
of  September ;  and  three  days  later,  Miss  Hildreth 
was  to  come.  The  Cuban  friends  were  to  remain 
through  October.  Eve  put  Mrs.  Harwood  in  her 
room,  and  we  rigged  up  a  comfortable  bed  in  our 
attic  for  me,  while  Eve  was  to  take  my  room. 

And  now  I  must  relate  the  march  my  dear  Eve 
stole  upon  me.  She  borrowed  Joe's  money,  —  forty- 
five  dollars  it  was  then,  —  and  ten  from  Mrs.  Corwin, 
and  took  up  another  hundred  dollars  on  the  note.  I 
felt  almost  angry  when  she  confessed  it. 

"  See  here,"  she  began  in  her  pleading,  charming 
fashion.  "I  am  going  to  pay  Joe  two-months' 
interest  on  his  money ;  and  by  that  time,  my  music- 
dues  will  come  in.  The  other  small  sum  I  can  soon 
return.  Our  expenses  are  not  going  to  be  fearful 
this  winter.  You  will  see  me  coming  out  in  a  new 
plush  suit,  maybe  a  seal  coat.  Oh,  I  dare  say  I  shall 
try  your  very  soul  with  my  extravagance  ! " 

Well,  there  was  no  use  in  scolding.  Indeed,  Mrs. 
Harwood  was  so  enthusiastic ;  and  she  took  such  a 
fancy  to  the  Cubans.  She  was  very  fond  of  young 


IN  A  GARDEN  221 

men.  It  was  growing  cool  in  the  evenings  now, 
though  it  had  been  summer  up  to  this  time  ;  and 
every  evening  we  made  a  fire  in  our  grate  in  the  re 
ception-room,  burning  logs  that  gave  out  an  odorous 
fragrance.  We  had  put  up  hooks  for  two  hammocks  ; 
we  had  a  pretty,  light  couch  that  we  could  roll 
around ;  and,  with  the  easy-chairs,  we  looked  lazily 
luxurious.  Every  one  did  enjoy  it.  When  Miss 
Hildreth  came,  her  delight  knew  no  bounds. 

Joe  took  Mrs.  Harwood  out  every  day.  He  was 
still  busy  for  Mr.  Wilbur,  but  they  were  soon  going 
in  town.  The  two  elder  children  were  already  there, 
attending  school.  Next  spring  the  house  would  be 
put  in  good  order,  all  the  finishing-touches  added. 
Joe  was  to  work  at  the  grounds. 

"That  young  fellow  should  be  a  landscape  gar 
dener,"  said  Mr.  Wilbur.  "  I  have  been  surprised  at 
his  ideas;  and  he  does  his  work  so  thoroughly. 
I  have  just  been  paying  him  ordinary  wages  ;  but  I 
mean  to  give  him  a  nice  sum  in  the  end,  for  he  has 
saved  me  dollars  and  dollars,  and  he  is  so  willing  to 
change  any  thing.  I  want  you  to  overlook  him  a 
little.  We  have  the  matter  all  planned  out,  and  I 
think  he  can  get  the  grounds  in  good  order  before 
every  thing  freezes  up.  I  shall  be  over  every  now 
and  then." 

There  was  a  pretty  oval  lawn,  the    carriage-path 


222  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

going  up  and  winding  around  the  house.  The  bed 
of  this  had  been  made  with  stones  of  all  sizes  com 
pactly  laid,  and  covered  with  dirt,  then  gravel. 
There  were  some  spaces  for  flowers :  shrubs,  border 
ing,  hardy  plants  and  trees,  had  been  set  out,  and 
fertilizers  of  various  kinds  brought.  Joe  had  sodded 
the  lawn  and  the  terrace  in  a  beautiful  manner,  and 
it  was  to  be  covered  presently. 

I  was  very  much  pleased  with  Joe's  success.  He 
was  equal  to  Eve  for  putting  in  the  time  ;  and  the 
thought  of  one  day  owning  something,  inspirited  him 
thoroughly. 

Indeed,  I  am  not  sure  but  October  was  as  delightful 
as  any  other  month.  Only  the  'Wilburs  did  go  away, 
and  we  missed  them  sadly.  Then  Mrs.  Harwood  said 
her  good-bys,  though  she  overstaid  her  fortnight. 
Eve  demurred  at  considering  her  in  the  light  of  a 
boarder,  after  accepting  her  generous  hospitality. 

"  My  dear  child,"  she  said,  "  do  not  look  at  matters 
in  a  wrong  or  distorted  light.  I  am  a  rich,  elderly 
woman  :  you  are  just  beginning  life,  and  it  would  be 
the  quintessence  of  meanness  for  me  to  take  of  your 
slender  store.  I  could  make  you  a  present,  you 
know ;  but  I  approve  your  business  methods,  and 
just  now  the  money  is  best." 

It  was  true  enough.  We  liked  Mrs.  Harwood  so 
sincerely  and  well. 


IN  A  GARDEN  223 

But  I  think  we  were  both  bewitched  over  Celia 
Hildreth.  She  was  such  a  nobly  sweet  girl,  so 
friendly,  so  ambitious  to  do  well,  so  generous  to  all 
others.  She  would  have  Eve  paint  a  little,  and 
praised  her  with  rare  judiciousness. 

The  Brookes,  Gertie  Fisher,  and  Mabel  Lane,  came 
over  one  day.  There  was  so  much  to  tell.  Miss 
Lane  was  engaged,  Miss  Fisher  was  to  be  married, 
and  so  was  Kitty  Travers. 

"  And  the  clique  will  be  broken  up,"  bewailed 
Sadie  Brooke.  "  We  have  had  the  loveliest  time  for 
three  years,  and  now  you  are  going  to  spoil  it 
all." 

"  It  is  a  great  pity,  since  you  are  never  likely  to 
leave  the  charmed  circle.  Eve,  she  flirted  shame 
fully  with  that  elegant  Mr.  Palmer ;  while  any  of  us 
would  have  given  our  two  eyes  for  him." 

"  And  thrown  your  lovers  overboard  ?  Not  a  bit 
of  it !  "  declared  Sadie. 

"  You  will  flirt  once  too  often  —  won't  she,  Eve  ?  " 

Sadie  colored  curiously. 

Of  course  they  had  to  hear  the  romance  about 
Celia  Hildreth.  It  was  very  curious,  they  all  agreed. 

"So  you  may  know  we  did  not  slander  you  ter 
rifically,"  laughed  Bel.  "  The  passengers  must  have 
thought  us  crazy  that  day." 

"Where  is  Mr.  Palmer?"   Eve  asked. 


224  A  MODEKN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

"Gone  off,  —  nobody  knows  where,  —  to  some 
Western  ranch,"  answered  Sadie,  with  assumed 
unconcern. 

Did  she  care  for  him? 

Oh,  what  a  lovely  autumn  it  was!  After  all,  I 
had  been  prospered  wonderfully;  and  I  sometimes 
asked  what  there  was,  short  of  a  fortune,  that  could 
make  me  happier.  For  I  could  not  undervalue 
money.  I  was  learning  the  worth  of  it  more  and 
more  every  day.  Was  it  not  as  noble  for  Joe  and 
me  to  strive  for  our  small  share  of  it  as  for  some 
great  millionnaire  to  rejoice  when  he  doubled  his 
thousands?  We  were  wronging  no  one,  we  were 
defrauding  no  man,  but  striving  honestly  and  heartily 
for  our  little  share  of  the  world's  wealth. 

With  the  first  of  November  our  happy  household 
dispersed.  Cassimera  was  going  back  to  Cuba, 
Estradura  to  return  to  New  York  for  the  winter ; 
but  he  insisted  that  we  were  sure  to  see  him  early 
the  next  summer,  and  begged  to  be  allowed  to  come 
in  a  friendly  way  occasionally.  They  had  enjoyed 
themselves  so  much.  They  had  been  so  happy ;  and 
to  hear  them,  one  would  think  they  had  sojourned 
in  Paradise. 

Miss  Hildreth  remained  a  week  after  they  had 
gone.  She  had  secured  two  music-pupils  in  New 
York  at  eighteen  dollars  a  quarter  for  Eve,  who 


IN  A  GARDEN  225 

now  was  sure  of  going  to  New  York  twice  a  week, 
and  one  day  she  must  be  able  to  come  in  and  paint. 

Then  Mrs.  Wilbur  came  up  with  some  wonderful 
news. 

"Would  you  believe,"  she  began,  "that  Royal 
Palmer  is  actually  engaged  to  Sadie  Brooke  ?  They 
had  a  half  engagement,  and  quarrelled,  of  course,  as 
all  true  lovers  do  ;  and  last  evening  it  was  made  up. 
He  only  came  home  yesterday  morning.  Quick 
work,  wasn't  it  ?  She  is  a  charming  girl,  but  I  pre 
dict  for  them  a  stormy  time.  And,  O  my  dear 
Eve,  I  wish  it  had  been  you  !  I  wish  I  had  an 
unmarried  brother,  or  Mr.  Wilbur  possessed  one ; 
and  I  should  demand  you  out  of  hand." 

Eve  laughed.  "I  felt  almost  sure  of  it  at  Lake 
George,"  she  said.  "And  I  think  it  a  splendid 
match." 

"  And  Roy  is  a  splendid  fellow.  But,  oh !  what 
are  you  ?  " 

"  Splendid  too,"  declared  Eve,  standing  up  to  her 
tallest. 

"  You  are  sure  neither  of  those  Cubans  took  your 
heart  away?" 

"  Oh,  quite,  quite  sure  !  "  and  Eve  laughed  gayly. 


226  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 


CHAPTER  XIII 

ATHENS   IS   BOUSED 

I  REMEMBER  one  evening,  Joe  and  Eve  and  I  sat 
round  a  fire  of  blazing  corn-cobs,  and  talked  over 
our  plans  and  our  gains  —  shall  I  say?  Joe  was 
very  happy,  very  proud  and  triumphant.  When  Mrs. 
Harwood  left  us,  she  had  added  ten  dollars  to  his 
store ;  and  now  Eve  had  paid  her  borrowed  money. 
He  had  bought  a  really  handsome  new  suit  of  win 
ter  clothes,  and  had  sixty-four  dollars  to  his  credit. 
He  had  talked  over  the  horse  with  Pryor,  who 
seemed  loth  to  part  with  it,  yet  he  had  not  positively 
declined. 

I  think  Pryor  was  beginning  to  understand  that 
my  sweet  Eve  could  give  him  nothing  warmer  than 
friendship.  He  did  not  stay  away,  but  there  was 
a  slight  difference  in  his  bearing  toward  her.  He 
was  very  busy  just  now  trying  to  boom  Athens. 
The  wire-factory  was  to  begin  operations  the  first 
of  December.  Mr.  Corwin  had  rented  both  of  his 
houses  to  the  overseers  of  the  different  departments; 
and  the  probability  was,  that  he  would  sell  one  at  an 


IN  A   GARDEN  227 

advance  of  about  three  hundred  dollars  over  the 
cost. 

"  It  is  not  very  much,"  he  said,  "  but  it  releases 
my  money  for  me  to  work  with  again." 

Indeed,  he  and  Pryor  were  planning  some  cot 
tages,  considerably  smaller,  on  a  tract  of  land  the 
latter  owned;  and  a  paper-mill  was  negotiating, 
through  him,  for  a  desirable  piece  of  water-front. 
This  would  bring  in  a  number  of  new  people. 

I  was  feeling  quite  cheerful  over  my  garden.  Its 
products  very  much  surprised  Mr.  Montgomery.  I 
had  five  bushels  of  potatoes,  after  using  from  the 
last  of  June.  We  had  sundry  other  vegetables,  and 
thirty  bushels  of  corn  on  the  ear.  I  had  planted  a 
splendid  variety  of  sweet  corn  —  "Giant,"  it  was 
called  —  that  had  yielded  beyond  any  thing ;  the  ears 
being  both  long,  and  containing  a  large  number  of 
rows.  It  was  delightful  table-corn  ;  and,  though  we 
had  supplied  some  of  our  neighbors,  still  a  great  deal 
had  hardened ;  but  the  chickens  were  crazy  over  it, 
so  I  found  it  no  loss ;  indeed,  I  thought  it  the  most 
profitable  of  any.  I  felt  another  year  I  could  do 
better  still,  with  a  judicious  amount  of  fertilizer. 
Then  we  had  no  end  of  canned-fruit,  and  two  bushels 
of  pears  laid  away  to  keep,  though  I  found  they 
ripened  up  rather  fast.  I  also  tried  some  experi 
ments  with  grapes,  of  which  we  had  an  abundance, 


228  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

though  not  so  many  that  bunched  handsomely.  We 
had  made  blackberry  cordial,  and  three  gallons  of 
grape  wine. 

Our  pullets  were  coming  on  nicely.  Three  or  four 
of  the  white  Leghorns  laid  at  five  months,  and  some 
of  the  mixed  ones.  We  had  about  ten  beautiful 
light  Brahmas,  and  began  to  average  syc  or  eight 
eggs  a  day.  We  had  a  customer  in  New  York  for 
all  our  white  Leghorn  eggs  at  forty  cents  a  dozen 
for  the  season.  Of  our  old  hens  we  had  but  five 
left,  and  they  were  good  for  another  year.  We 
resolved  to  force  them  all  to  their  utmost,  and  see 
what  we  could  do.  The  front  of  both  houses  was 
nearly  all  of  glass,  and  had  a  southern  exposure ; 
was  good  and  warm  and  dry. 

Joe  had  not  quite  finished  his  work  next  door, 
but  he  was  still  kept  busy.  Indeed,  on  a  rainy 
day,  Joe  and  Bess  were  in  great  demand  at  the  sta 
tion  :  then,  there  would  be  employment  about  the 
new  buildings,  so  it  did  not  seem  worth  while  to  go 
back  to  telegraphing.  And  I  began  to  mistrust  that 
Joe  was  dreaming  of  a  home  and  a  somebody,  as  he 
had  once  suggested.  He  was  always  escorting  Ruth 
Montgomery  somewhere,  and  it  seemed  as  if  she  was 
not  averse.  Joe  was  too  young  and  too  poor  to 
think  of  such  a  future ;  but,  after  all  — 

"  No,  don't  let  us  interfere,"  Eve  had  said.     "  If 


IN  A  GARDEN  229 

she  should  like  Joe,  she  will  wait;  and  I  begin  to 
think  she  will  not  do  for  Pryor.  He  needs  a  more 
stirring  wife,  —  a  kind  of  stylish  society  girl,  who 
will  help  him  get  rich." 

"And  Joe  needs  a  wife  to  keep  him  poor,"  I 
laughed. 

"  No :  Ruth  might  help  him.  There  would  be  so 
many  little  ways,  and  he  would  make  her  very  happy. 
Oh,  what  nonsense !  Well,  let  us  neither  make  nor 
mar." 

I  looked  at  him  now,  and  the  honest  manliness 
shining  in  his  eyes  touched  me. 

"  This  is  solid  comfort,"  he  said  presently,  with  a 
long  breath.  "  When  I  have  a  house,  I  shall  have 
a  grate  or  a  fireplace." 

We  had  started  our  heater,  but  so  far  had  not 
needed  much  fire.  This  in  the  -reception-room  was 
a  luxury.  We  had  settled  again  in  our  regular 
sleeping-rooms,  though  we  all  declared  ourselves 
ready  to  vacate  at  the  appearance  of  a  crowd.  But 
the  girls  were  very  busy  with  approaching  wed 
dings.  Even  Sadie  Brooke's  had  been  set  down  for 
Christmas  Eve. 

We  were  very  happy,  even  if  life  had  narrowed. 
Indeed,  gay,  laughing  Eve  seemed  inclined  to  a  little 
halt,  especially  as  now  she  went  to  the  city  twice  a 
week.  We  returned  to  regular  reading ;  and,  by 


230  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

odd  spells,  she  painted  quite  industriously.  Our 
greenhouse  experiment  was  a  source  of  great  inter 
est.  We  had  put  in  our  plants;  and,  though  we 
would  have  no  fire,  we  trusted  to  keep  them  alive. 
At  least,  we  had  some  splendid  blossoms  now. 

Eve  had  another  odd  entertainment.  From  papers 
that  one  and  another  sent  us,  she  cut  out  items  of 
various  kinds,  and  put  them  in  scrap-books.  She 
had  collected  quite  a  variety  of  chicken  wisdom,  of 
the  care  and  culture  of  flowers,  besides  what  she 
called  her  house-book,  —  a  very  useful  volume.  We 
were  all  interested  in  experiments.  Some  we  found 
useful  and  judicious :  others  we  laughed  over. 

Besides  our  out-of-door's  garden,  we  had  our  dining- 
room  window  quite  well  filled.  Miss  Hildreth  had 
sent  Eve  some  lovely  roses  and  bourvardias. 

Joe  sprang  up  presently,  and  said  it  was  train- 
time.  He  was  so  good  about  this  matter,  though 
sometimes  I  felt  conscience-smitten.  Indeed,  it  was 
quite  delightful  not  to  have  to  go  all  the  time. 

"It  almost  seems  as  though  we  ought  to  move 
back  to  the  station,"  declared  Eve.  "It  was  so  easy 
and  pleasant,  with  everybody  dropping  in.  However, 
it  will  not  be  bitterly  cold  before  January ;  and  then 
three  months  will  pass  rapidly." 

There  was  a  step  on  the  porch.     "  That  is  Pryor,' 
said  Eve. 


IN  A  GAKDEN  231 

Sure  enough.  He  had  our  evening-mail  in  his 
hand,  —  three  letters  for  Eve. 

"  Oh;  how  charmingly  cosey  you  are  here ! "  he 
exclaimed.  "  I  never  did  see  people  get  so  much 
good  out  of  life,"  and  he  looked  as  if  he  envied  both 
of  us." 

"  Oh ! "  said  Eve.  "  Helen  Gaylord  is  coming 
over  for  a  few  days.  And  on  Sunday,  Estradura 
wants  to  dine  with  us,  if  it  is  not  too  great  an  incon 
venience.  So  our  friends  are  not  quite  of  the  butter 
fly  order.  The  first  cold  snap  does  not  freeze  them 
up.  I  was  just  saying  to  Adam  that  we  would  have 
to  go  back  to  the  station,  for  fear  no  one  would 
want  to  climb  the  hill." 

"I  do  not  believe  you  will  be  left  much  to  your 
own  devices.  Still,  it  was  the  jolliest  thing!  Do 
you  know,  Miss  Eve,  I  have  wondered  many  a  time 
this  summer  how  you  had  the  courage  to  do  it? 
Some  people  would  have  been  buried:  you  flashed 
out  a  star  of  the  first  magnitude.  And  Athens  has 
been  coming  to  the  front  ever  since.  Ad,  I  have  a 
scheme  on  hand  myself.  You  know  those  lots  on 
Elm  Street?" 

I  nodded. 

"They  are  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  front.  I 
can  build  six  nice  cottages  of  five  or  six  rooms,  every 
two  houses  being  joined  together,  and  leaving  a 


232  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

pretty  open  space  between  the  alternate  ones. 
Corwin  thinks  it  worth  the  doing.  I  can  rent  them 
in  the  spring.  Don't  you  want  to  help  me  plan? 
Miss  Thurston,  I  want  some  of  your  ideas." 

Eve  was  interested  at  once.  We  brought  out 
pencils  and  paper,  and  had  an  amusing  time  drawing 
cottages.  Eve's  plan  was  the  best,  we  had  to  admit. 
She  managed  to  put  in  more  closets,  to  arrange  win 
dows  so  the  house  would  furnish  nicely.  Then  she 
sketched  out  pretty  fronts,  so  they  should  not  all  be 
just  alike. 

"  Corwin  has  sold  one  of  his  houses ;  and  the 
probability  is,  that  the  other  will  go.  I  am  going  to 
try  for  two  hundred  advance  on  mine ;  and,  if  I  can 
get  that,  I'll  turn  my  money  over.  Though  they 
will  pay  fair  interest  in  renting.  You  see,  the  two 
new  mills  are  going  to  stir  up  matters." 

I  ran  it  over  in  my  mind.  If  Pry  or  could  make 
twelve  hundred  on  his  houses  in  one  year,  it  would 
be  quite  an  addition  to  his  income. 

"  What  is  Joe  going  about  ? "  he  asked,  rather 
abruptly.  "  Isn't  Wilbur's  place  finished  ?  " 

"  Yes,  all  that  can  be  done  now." 

"  Joe  is  a  nice  fellow.  If  he  should  not  care  to  go 
away,  we  can  keep  him  busy.  Do  you  know,  Corwin 
and  I  have  been  talking  of  a  lumber-yard  ?  If  build 
ing  should  have  a  boom,  it  wouldn't  be  a  bad  thing. 


IN  A  GARDEN  233 

I  should  like  a  trusty,  honest  fellow,  such  as  Joe  is 
going  to  make.  Yet  I  did  not  take  much  stock  in 
him  at  first." 

"  Joe  is  my  protege"  said  Eve,  rather  proudly,  and 
in  a  tone  that  forbade  any  doubtful  remark. 

"  O  Miss  Thurston !  adopt  us  all.  There  is  not  a 
soul  of  us  who  doesn't  envy  Joe.  And  all  the  young 
people  are  talking  of  what  we  can  have  this  winter. 
Now,  couldn't  we  form  some  kind  of  a  social  club, 
and  have  a  little  dancing  and  music,  and  now  and 
then  a  regular  supper  that  the  gentlemen  should 
provide?  Think  it  over  in  your  brilliant  brain. 
Why,  I  would  even  meet  up  in  the  station.  The 
best  cup  of  coffee  I  ever  had  in  my  life  was  there." 

Eve  laughed  gayly. 

"  Come  up  to-morrow  night,  and  help  me  entertain 
Miss  Gaylord,"  she  said,  as  he  was  going  away ;  and 
he  replied  that  he  should  be  happy  to. 

Joe  did  not  come  in  until  ten ;  but  he  wore  a  rather 
shy,  mysterious  expression,  that  I  think  we  both 
connected  with  Ruth.  We  told  him  of  Pryor's  visit 
and  the  prospect. 

"How  good  of  him!"  exclaimed  Joe,  with 
unaffected  pleasure.  "  Do  you  know,  I  think  the  old 
Garden  of  Eden  must  have  been  here,  and  a  little  of 
the  goodness  is  left  to  leaven  everybody  ?  I  shall  get 
along  just  splendidly." 


234  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

We  had  been  reading  Warren's  entertaining  book, 
"  Paradise  regained."  Eve  had  been  training  Joe  in 
elocution;  and  he  had  such  a  nice,  fresh,  earnest 
voice,  that  it  was  a  pleasure  to  listen  when  his  turn 
came  around. 

Miss  Gaylord  reached  us  the  next  morning,  and 
found  a  warm  welcome.  Mr.  Wilbur  came  over  in 
the  afternoon,  and  had  a  long  interview  with  Joe, 
paying  him  his  back  wages. 

"And  you  could  not  guess,"  said  Joe,  when  I 
entered  the  station.  "  I  never  would  have  believed 
such  wonderful  luck  possible.  He  said  "  —  and  Joe 
winked  hard  to  keep  the  tears  of  joy  and  gratitude 
from  his  eyes  —  "  he  said  I  had  been  so  faithful,  and 
worked  so  well,  and  actually  saved  him  money,  and 
that  he  had  been  putting  by  a  little  every  week  to 
make  fair  wages ;  and  it  was  absolutely  fifty  dollars, 
Thurston.  I  did  not  want  to  take  it ;  but  he  said  I 
had  been  worth  that,  and  more,  and  that  I  ought  to 
study  landscape-gardening,  and  make  a  business  of 
it.  Couldn't  we  get  some  books?  And  now  I  have 
one  hundred  and  eighteen  dollars,  all  my  own,  and 
good  clothes,  and  am  a  sober  fellow.  I  do  not  believe 
I  ever  will  drink  again,  Thurston.  I  shall  think  of 
the  health  and  prosperity  and  respectability,  and, 
oh,  the  love  one  forfeits !  Think  what  I  was  last 
spring !  I  don't  know  —  you  both  have  been  angels 


IN  A  GARDEN  235 

to  me :  I  don't  care  if  I  do  cry  a  little,  there  !  "  and 
Joe  wiped  his  eyes. 

"I  want  you  to  be  strong  enough  to  resist  the 
temptation  everywhere,  not  merely  in  a  place  like  this. 
Could  you  stand  up  against  the  boys  ?  I  want  you 
to  be  proof  against  persuasion  and  jeers,  and  even 
that  insidious  little  demon  who  whispers,  '  Once  will 
do  no  harm.'  My  dear  boy,"  and  I  took  his  hand. 
He  really  seemed  like  a  younger  brother. 

"Miss  Eve,"  he  said  that  night,  "I  ought  to  be 
paying  some  board.  I  am  going  to  earn  two  dollars 
a  day.  I  am  to  keep  my  hours,  and  still  manage  my 
parcel  business,  though  there  will  not  be  so  many 
people  wanting  to  ride  out.  And  I  am  going  to  buy 
Pryor's  horse  for  eighty  dollars,  paying  him  fifty 
down,  and  the  rest  he  is  going  to  take  out  in  use. 
And  you  are  so  good  to  me;  but  you  know  there 
isn't  much  gardening  now,  or  gathering  of  fruit  and 
vegetables ;  and  you  keep  Letty  all  the  time  "  — 

"  But  you  run  down  to  the  station,  and  let  Adam 
sit  at  his  ease  at  home  ;  and  you  look  after  the 
furnace,  and  chop  wood,  and  bring  me  things,  and 
take  me  driving  "  — 

"  That  isn't  any  thing,"  he  cried  eagerly.  "  I'm 
glad  to  do  it.  There  is  not  any  thing  I  would  not  do 
for  you  and  Adam.  I  shall  feel  better  if  you  will 
let  me  pay  you  something." 


236  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

So  it  was  settled  on  a  basis  of  three  dollars  a 
week.  Eve  would  not  take  any  more,  and  Joe  would 
not  pay  any  less. 

"  You  see,"  said  Eve,  "  there  is  the  next  interest 
provided  for.  And  now  I  shall  indulge  in  a  new 
gown,  and  you  must  have  a  new  suit  of  clothes." 

We  made  our  living  quite  an  economical  matter. 
Meats  we  bought  in  a  co-operative  fashion,  and 
divided :  various  other  goods  we  purchased  in  large 
quantities.  I  had  obliged  my  neighbors  by  ordering 
coal  by  the  car-load,  quite  early  in  the  season.  We 
had  obtained  it  a  little  less  than  cost,  and  had  long 
tons;  and  it  had  proved  very  satisfactory.  Once 
Mr.  Wilbur  had  sent  us  fifty  barrels  of  flour,  when 
it  had  taken  a  tumble ;  and  I  found  no  difficulty  in 
disposing  of  them  at  a  small  profit,  that  gave  us  the 
price  of  one,  though  we  made  sure  of  two.  By  these 
methods,  and  our  store  of  fruits  and  vegetables,  we 
kept  our  living  at  a  figure  that  was  really  a  source 
of  astonishment  to  me.  Indeed,  we  had  quite  a  little 
co-operative  society  in  this  matter. 

Pryor  came  up  to  help  entertain  our  visitor,  and 
it  seemed  as  if  he  enjoyed  it  greatly.  We  made 
quite  a  summery  picture  in  the  glow  of  our  wood- 
fire,  with  the  hammocks  up,  and  easy-chairs  about. 
Two  or  three  others  dropped  in,  and  we  ended  with 
a  little  music. 


IN  A  GARDEN  237 

"Adam,"  said  my  sister  a  few  days  later,  when 
she  and  Helen  had  been  visiting  Miss  Hildreth,  going 
to  an  art-sale,  and  Eve  had  given  her  lesson,  "I 
intend  to  be  sinfully  extravagant  in  the  way  of  dress. 
Kitty  Travers  is  to  be  married  early  in  December, 
in  church,  at  three,  and  have  a  two  hours'  reception. 
Sadie  Brooke  is  to  be  married  in  church  on  Christ 
mas  Eve,  but  goes  right  away,  and  will  have  a  recep 
tion  afterward.  The  Wilburs  are  to  have  an  elegant 
tea,  and  I  am  asked  to  a  theatre-party ;  and,  oh,  I  am 
to  pour  tea  myself  at  Mrs.  Harwood's !  So  I  shall 
get  a  pretty  blue-velvet  gown.  I  have  white  lace  to 
trim  it  with,  and  black  lace ;  and  I  am  going  to  have 
a  cloth  gown,  trimmed  with  chinchilla  fur,  as  I  have 
oceans  of  that  on  hand.  Miss  Hildreth  has  a  friend 
who  can  get  a  piece  of  velvet  much  more  reasonably 
than  at  retail.  Indeed,  I  have  found  that  my  mate 
rial  will  cost  just  thirty-six  dollars,  and  my  two 
music-scholars  will  pay  for  that.  I  am  to  have  a 
third,  I  believe,  at  fifteen  dollars  a  quarter ;  and  my 
four  here  are  going  on.  Then  I  am  likely  to  dispose 
of  some  Christmas  work  at  Celia's  studio.  They  are 
going  to  make  a  specialty  of  sales  all  December,  and 
Celia  asked  me  to  send  in  some  things." 

"  Where  are  you  going  to  get  time  to  do  every 
thing  ?  "  I  asked  in  amaze. 

"  Well  —  Helen  insists  that  I  have  more  time  than 


238  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

most  people.  I  think  I  know  how  to  take  advantage 
of  every  thing.  Why,  I  am  not  as  busy  now  as  I 
was  at  aunt  Carry's.  Some  people  here  in  Athens 
would  be  dismayed  at  the  rush  in  a  fashionable 
woman's  life.  So  you  see,"  she  says  archly,  "  that 
I  have  not  dropped  out  of  society." 

Pryor  was  certainly  devoted  to  us,  or  to  Miss  Gay- 
lord.  We  coaxed  her  to  go  on  staying:  she  was 
such  a  pleasant,  wholesome  girl.  Estradura  came 
up,  and  enjoyed  himself  mightily.  Pryor  took  both 
girls  down  to  the  theatre  one  evening.  I  was  not 
sure  whether  it  was  a  ruse  to  take  out  Eve, — 
whether,  indeed,  his  admiration  of  Miss  Gaylord  was 
not  a  blind. 

The  young  people  in  Athens  were  so  in  earnest  to 
have  a  circle  of  pleasure,  with  Eve  in  it,  that  finally 
she  helped  them  to  form  a  Fortnight  Club.  It  was 
to  meet  once  in  two  weeks  at  different  houses,  with 
music,  recitations  or  reading,  tableaus  or  charades. 
The  lady  at  whose  house  it  met  was  responsible  for 
the  entertainment.  Dancing  was  also  to  be  allowed. 
Refreshments  were  discussed;  and  finally  they  set 
tled  upon  sandwiches,  one  kind  of  cake,  coffee  or 
cream.  The  first  one  who  overstepped  the  boundary 
was  to  be  fined  five  dollars. 

Eve  asked  them  first  to  our  house.  A  gentleman 
who  was  a  member  could  invite  a  lady,  a  lady  could 


IN  A  GARDEN 

bring  an  escort.  The  admission-fee  was  one  dollar, 
and  the  members  limited  to  twenty-five.  Nineteen 
joined,  and  there  were  twenty-seven  present.  Besides, 
we  had  invited  Celia  Hildreth,  and  Helen,  Frank, 
and  Mr.  Estradura.  We  had  music,  singing,  and 
dancing ;  and  Pryor  gave  us  an  excellent  Irish  reci 
tation.  At  ten  we  were  to  end  our  pleasure,  but 
they  seemed  very  loth  to  go.  So  our  evening  was  a 
success.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wharton  had  joined,  and  the 
second  entertainment  was  to  be  at  their  house. 

I  must  say  that  we  heard  quite  often  from  uncle 
Lennard.  Sometimes  he  was  in  excellent  spirits, 
sometimes  quite  depressed.  But  he  was  so  eager  to 
have  Eve  tell  him  how  we  were  prospering  with  the 
house.  This  autumn  aunt  Carry's  last  daughter  was 
married,  so  her  soul  would  be  no  more  perplexed 
with  that  anxiety. 

Our  weeks  absolutely  flew  by.  Sadie  Brooke 
made  us  two  brief  visits,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that 
she  grew  in  beauty  and  in  fun.  We  laughed  unceas 
ingly  when  she  was  with  us.  Mr.  Palmer  came  over 
one  evening,  and  his  engagement  did  not  seem  to 
burden  him  with  gravity. 

"  Isn't  it  funny,"  said  Sadie,  "  that  I  should  come 
over  here,  and  find  a  lover  ?  Oh !  do  you  remember 
that  first  gay  visit  to  the  station?  and  what  good 
times  we  had  here  last  summer  ?  O  Eve  Thurston ! 


240  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

you  are  a  confirmed  match-maker.  There's  Gordon 
Pryor  going  the  way  of  all  the  rest  after  Helen.  He 
was  awfully  sweet  on  you,  and  jealous  as  a  pasha  last 
summer.  Are  you  going  to  remain  single,  and  laugh 
at  your  friends,  as  you  see  them  floundering  in  the 
marshes  of  matrimony  after  a  will-o'-wisp  ?  " 

"  No,"  returned  Eve  solemnly.  "  I'm  going  to  be 
married  myself,  when  Mr.  Right  comes  along." 

The  blue  velvet  dress  was  lovely.  It  seemed  as  if 
Eve  had  never  looked  so  beautiful  in  any  thing  save 
white.  The  cloth  was  dainty  and  jaunty,  with  its 
soft  gray-fur  trimming  and  muff.  The  club,  the  teas, 
the  parties,  and  weddings  came  off  in  their  succes 
sion.  How  Eve  found  time  to  paint,  and  embroider 
a  little,  and  also  to  take  an  interest  in  church  work, 
really  puzzled  me. 

Eve  went  down  and  spent  the  day  before  Christ 
mas  with  the  Brookes.  Sadie  had  five  maids  of 
honor,  and  was  bewitching  in  silk  and  lace  and 
flowers.  I  went  down  in  the  evening,  and  escorted 
my  sister.  The  church  was  beautiful  in  its  Christ 
mas  adornments,  and  the  wedding  like  a  picture. 
Mrs.  Palmer  returned  home,  changed  her  dress,  and 
they  took  the  night-train  to  Baltimore,  where  Mr. 
Palmer's  mother  and  an  invalid  sister  lived,  and  who 
had  begged  they  should  come  there  for  a  Christmas 
dinner. 


IN  A  GARDEN  241 

I  brought  Eve  out  of  all  the  splendor  to  our  own 
little  cottage.  Joe  had  a  bright  fire  in  the  grate,  and 
some  fragrant  coffee  on  the  stove.  Was  she  so 
happy,  so  serenely  content  ?  O  Eve,  my  darling !  I 
wished  that  night  I  could  be  a  millionnaire  for  your 
sake.  You  were  worthy  of  the  best. 

"  Do  you  know,"  said  Eve  gayly,  as  she  sipped  her 
coffee,  "  that  I  have  a  new  scheme  ?  I  shall  make 
your  life  a  burden,  Adam,  but  not  about  an  apple. 
Here  is  Joe  to  do  landscape-gardening.  Here  are 
you  who  can  make  a  dry  twig  grow,  if  you  stick  it 
into  the  ground ;  and  I  can  make  bouquets  and 
bargains.  The  world  is  sighing  for  flowers.  It  is 
smothered  in  them,  and  yet,  like  Alexander  the 
Great,  '  it  sighs  for  new  curiosities  to  conquer.'  We 
must  become  florists.  We  must  go  into  a  real  garden. 
That  is  a  subject  for  you  to  dream  out  on  this 
blessed  Christmas  Eve.  It  has  come  to  me  like  an 
inspiration ! " 

We  both  stared  at  her,  the  eyes  lustrous  and 
merry,  the  mouth  daintily  sweet,  the  cheek  like  a 
sun-kissed  peach. 

Then  she  laughed.     The  clock  was  striking. 

"  Merry  Christmas  !  Merry  Christmas  !  "  she  cried, 
and  kissed  me,  then  turned  to  Joe  with  the  sweetness 
of  a  sister. 

"  Miss  Eve,"  he  said  huskily,  "  you  know  I  would 


242  A  MODEKN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

do  any  thing  for  you.  I'd  go  round  the  world. 
You  have  helped  to  make  a  man  of  me,  and,  by  God's 
help,  I  mean  never  to  shame  your  work.  All  my 
life  long  you  will  be  to  me  an  angel  holding  out  your 
hand ;  and  if  ever  I  should  be  tempted  to  go  wrong, 
I  will  come  and  cling  to  it." 

Did  we  need  to  be  any  happier  ?     I  forgot  I  was  a 
poor  young  fellow  on  forty-five  dollars  a  month. 


IN  A  GARDEN  243 


CHAPTER  XIV 

WINTER  BLOOMS  IN  EDEN 

EVE  and  I  went  to  church  Christmas  morning. 
The  sound  of  her  voice  in  the  hymns  and  carols  will 
never  vanish  from  my  heart  or  brain,  for  it  touched 
both.  We  were  to  go  to  the  Corwins's  for  a  two- 
o'clock  dinner,  and  to  the  Morrisons's  for  the  evening, 
as  they  were  to  have  a  grand  Christmas-tree.  Joe 
was  to  take  Ruth  Montgomery  down  to  Northwood, 
to  hear  quite  a  famous  singer. 

Altogether  it  was  delightful.  Just  afterward  came 
a  cold  snap  and  a  splendid  snow-storm.  Joe  hired  a 
pretty  cutter,  and  made  the  most  of  the  pleasure. 
Certainly,  the  lad  had  a  good  deal  of  shrewdness  in 
turning  a  penny,  as  old  country  people  say. 

Some  time  after  this,  Helen  came  up  again.  It  was 
quite  evident  that  Pryor  was  in  earnest.  Eve  took 
him  in  hand  in  an  indescribable  manner,  as  if  she  had 
been  his  sister.  It  was  curious,  but  at  first  it  almost 
seemed  to  me  as  if  he  had  offered  Eve  an  indignity. 
She  spoke  of  it  one  evening  when  they  had  gone  out 
sleigh-riding. 


244  A  MODEKN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

"  Having  loved  you,  I  do  not  see  how  he  could  love 
any  other  woman !  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  O  you  foolish  Adam !  Could  it  make  me  any 
happier  if  he  went  mourning  and  moody?  He  is 
young,  vigorous,  enthusiastic,  and,  I  think,  a  bright, 
energetic  young  man ;  the  kind  of  person  to  have 
a  happy  home,  wife  and  children,  and  prosper  with 
them  all.  He  has  improved  very  much  in  a  year, 
and  the  Gaylord  connection  will  be  just  the  thing 
for  him.  Helen  was  very  noble  about  it.  She  was 
afraid  at  first  that  I  might  have  cared ;  and  he  was 
brave  enough  to  tell  her  that  he  had  liked  me  very 
much,  and  he  desired  us  always  to  be  friends.  Helen 
will  love  him  dearly,  and  that  is  just  what  he  wants 
and  needs.  I  am  glad  to  have  it  so." 

"  I  wonder  if  you  like  Estradura  better  ?  "  I  said 
slowly,  watching  her  with  eager  eyes. 

"  Not  that  way.     We  are  very  good  friends." 

I  remembered  Pryor's  jealousy  of  him,  and  smiled. 

"All  the  girls  will  be  married  presently,"  I  con 
tinued  ;  and  I  know  there  was  a  suggestion  of  loneli 
ness  in  my  tone. 

"Well,  —  Dr.  Johnson  advised  us  to  keep  our 
friendships  in  repair.  I  have  begun  with  Ce.lia  Hil- 
dreth.  And  Mrs.  Wilbur  is  to  •  have  a  charming 
niece  come  from  Georgia  to  spend  next  summer 
with  her,  and,  of  course,  she  will  fall  in  love  with 


IX   A  GARDEN  245 

me.  My  poor  Adam,  you  will  never  stand  any 
chance ! " 

She  looked  so  utterly  bewitching  as  she  said  this, 
with  an  assumption  of  melancholy,  that  I  was  com 
pelled  to  laugh. 

"  Well,  I  am  content  to  wait  a  while.  Our  league 
was  for  five  years,  you  know ;  and  by  that  time  we 
may  each  have  a  thousand  dollars." 

"  What  a  dismal  tone  !  A  thousand  dollars,  and 
two  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  enjoyment." 

Certainly  we  did  not  lack  for  the  latter.  Some 
one  seemed  to  be  coming  all  the  time.  Mrs.  Har- 
wood  was  over  and  staid  a  week.  She  was  not  feel 
ing  very  well ;  had  been  "  dissipating  too  much,"  she 
declared.  She  used  to  lie  in  the  hammock,  with  some 
pillows,  and  a  bright  shawl  thrown  over  her,  reading, 
or  watching  the  grate-fire.  We  had  taken  to  cannel- 
coal  now,  and  its  bright  blaze  pleased  her  wonder 
fully.  She  used  to  watch  Eve  as  she  flitted  about. 
I  remember  this  winter  she  wore  a  beautiful  deep  red 
gown,  with  a  good  deal  of  white  lace  about  her  neck  ; 
and,  somehow,  it  seemed  to  make  her  look  taller  and 
slenderer. 

We  talked  and  read  a  great  deal  about  green 
houses,  and  plants  of  all  kinds.  Our  little  green 
house  had  done  very  well.  We  had  banked  it  up 
on  the  exposed  sides,  and  had  a  double  door.  The 


246  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

roof  was  of  double  sashes ;  and  we  covered  them  with 
matting  and  old  carpets,  or  boards,  on  very  cold 
nights ;  but  on  days  that  were  pleasant  and  sunny, 
we  let  them  have  the  light.  The  pansies  bloomed 
abundantly  in  February.  Sweet  alyssum,  mignon 
ette,  and  some  of  the  hardier  red  geraniums,  kept 
in  flower. 

Our  chickens  were  doing  pretty  well,  —  not  as 
wonderfully  as  some  we  read  about,  but  they  gave 
us  a  profit ;  while  our  neighbors'  sat  on  the  roost,  or 
huddled  together  in  some  sunny  corner.  We  gave 
them  hot  cooked  food  every  morning.  It  stood  on 
the  back  of  the  stove,  and  we  kept  our  fires  all  night. 
I  put  plenty  of  red  pepper  in  it,  and  we  gave  them 
an  abundance  of  warm  water  to  drink.  In  their 
water-kettle  I  generally  kept  a  few  old  bits  of  iron 
that  were  in  a  state  of  rust.  For  dinner  they  had  a 
light  meal  of  wheat,  buckwheat,  and  oats,  and  at 
night  a  solid  meal  of  corn.  Twice  a  week  a  sheep's 
pluck,  and  pounded  or  ground  bone  and  oyster-shells. 
During  December  new-laid  eggs  went  up  to  fifty 
cents;  in  January  they  touched  sixty;  February, 
still  at  fifty;  in  March,  forty  and  thirty-five.  All 
our  refuse  vegetables  went  to  them ;  and  we  let  them 
run  at  large,  except  when  it  rained,  or  the  snow  was 
deep.  We  had  forty-nine  in  all.  In  November  we 
had  three  hundred  eggs,  and  sold  to  the  amount  of 


IN  A  GARDEN  247 

five  dollars ;  in  December,  three  hundred  and  sixty, 
and  sold  to  eight  dollars.  January  gave  us  five 
hundred,  and  we  sold  to  fifteen  dollars.  February 
gave  us  six  hundred,  and  we  sold  fourteen  dollars' 
worth ;  March,  six  hundred  and  eighty,  bringing  us 
in  ten  dollars.  So  up  to  the  first  of  April  we  had 
realized  fifty-two  dollars.  Now  quite  a  number  of 
the  hens  wanted  to  sit ;  so  we  put  them  in  the  barn, 
and  let  them  begin  business.  Among  my  Leghorns  I 
had  nine  splendid  layers ;  the  other  seven  were  very 
indifferent,  not  as  good  as  some  of  the  common 
fowls ;  and  we  decided  now  to  use  up  a  number  of 
the  poorest  layers.  Several  of  my  Brahmas  were 
immense,  weighing  seven  and  eight  pounds. 

So  we  decided  that  poultry  would  pay.  Ours  had 
been  an  experiment  very  well  attended  to,  yet  it 
had  proved  no  great  amount  of  trouble.  I  felt  that 
I  would  like  to  select  some  industry  that  I  could 
carry  on  with  my  business.  We  rather  inclined  to 
the  flowers.  Every  year  they  would  come  more  into 
use,  and  the  demand  increase.  One  needed  larger 
grounds  for  poultry-raising.  Still,  I  felt,  that,  if  I 
pushed  it,  even  on  my  limited  scale,  I  should  make 
several  hundred  dollars  a  year  besides  all  we  wanted 
to  use  in  eggs  or  chickens. 

During  March  I  accomplished  the  painting  of  my 
house.  Pryor  and  Mr.  Corwin  bought  a  large  amount 


248  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

of  a  new  kind  of  paint,  highly  recommended  for 
its  durability;  and  the  quantity  I  needed  cost  me 
thirty-two  dollars.  I  painted  all  my  blinds,  and  most 
of  the  house,  hiring  only  ten  dollars'  worth  of  work 
done. 

I  had  managed  to  put  by  fifteen  dollars  a  month 
of  my  wages,  and  at  the  end  of  the  six  months  had 
seventy  dollars ;  but  I  found  that  Eve  had  been  saving 
up  the  interest  as  well.  We  had  thirty  dollars  of 
the  egg-money,  and  feed  enough  now  to  last  the  next 
two  or  three  months.  Of  course,  we  paid  the  other 
hundred  dollars,  and  were  very  happy  over  it.  Now 
it  was  just  an  even  two  thousand,  the  face  of  the 
mortgage.  After  all,  we  had  not  pinched  ourselves. 
Still,  I  knew  well,  and  insisted,  that  I  could  have 
done  very  little  without  Eve's  help ;  and  she  could 
not  have  helped  if  she  had  not  earned  money.  True, 
we  might  have  gone  on  living  at  the  station  or  in 
three  rooms,  and  rigorously  denied  ourselves  all 
society.  But  the  real  question  is,  whether  the  pos 
session  of  houses  and  lands,  and  money  in  the  bank, 
is  worth  the  sacrifice  of  returning  to  semi-barbarism ; 
for  a  life  of  deprivation  amounts  to  that.  We  prate 
of  living  simply,  and  find  our  tramps,  who  go  back 
to  first  principles,  and  pay  no  house-rent,  intolerable 
nuisances.  As  we  lop  off  here  and  there,  we  drop 
down  in  personal  neatness  and  the  amenities  of  life. 


IN  A  GARDEN  249 

Philip  Gilbert  Hammerton  has  discussed  this  point 
with  much  truth  and  fairness. 

But  the  fact  remained,  —  I  wanted  to  get  my 
fortune  faster  than  at  the  rate  of  forty-five  dollars  a 
month.  Hundreds  would  have  jumped  at  my  situa 
tion.  You  may  estimate  the  great  army  of  the 
unemployed  when  you  count  the  number  who  apply 
for  any  position.  Not  a  week  through  the  autumn 
but  some  lads  stopped  to  question  me  about  my  road, 
or  any  thing  in  the  vicinity.  They  doubtless  went  to 
others.  Some  were  nice,  honest-looking  young  men : 
some  bore  traces  of  dissipation.  I  felt  my  own 
poverty  and  inability  sorely  at  such  times,  though 
we  did  often  give  them  a  good  meal. 

Of  course,  there  were  higher  salaries  than  mine ; 
but  these  more  fortunate  ones  were  not  going  to  step 
out  for  my  sake.  Then,  I  had  tied  myself  to  this 
place  while  I  had  my  house,  and  the  living  here  was 
pleasant ;  but  I  wanted  to  be  making  more  than  my 
monthly  stipend  when  I  was  forty. 

The  past  six  months,  Eve  had  earned  one  hundred 
and  forty-six  dollars  by  music-teaching,  thirty-five  by 
holiday  work,  and  our  boarders  had  brought  us  in 
one  hundred  and  eighty-eight  dollars. 

Among  other  things,  we  discussed  a  hotel.  Pryor 
was  infusing  his  own  enthusiasm  into  some  of  the 
sleepy  Athenians,  — rather,  I  should  say,  into  some  of 


250  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

the  new-comers.  The  old  families  like  the  Mont- 
gomerys  could  hardly  have  been  blown  out  of  their 
rut  by  a  charge  of  dynamite.  Strangers  were  coming 
in  to  look  at  property.  The  paper-mills  company 
built  a  nice  dock.  There  was  one  wretched  little 
lumber-pile  connected  with  a  coal  and  wood  yard, 
kept  by  a  Mr.  Van  Alen,  who  was  a  counterpart  of 
Mr.  Montgomery,  and  who  always  talked  as  if  Pryor 
were  an  adventurer,  and  would  soon  bankrupt  the 
whole  town. 

Meanwhile,  Pryor  sold  the  middle  houses  in  his 
row,  which  were  the  prettiest,  we  all  thought,  and 
rented  two  more  at  eighteen  dollars  a  month.  The 
one  at  the  upper  end  was  the  least  desirable,  as  it 
had  no  southern  exposure ;  but,  when  he  offered  this 
for  fifteen  dollars  monthly,  it  was  eagerly  snapped  up : 
and  at  May,  the  last  one  was  rented.  Corwin  had 
bought  some  other  lots,  and  decided  to  build  again. 
If  I  only  had  a  little  money  to  join  them  in  a  venture  ! 

The  Randalls  were  delighted  with  these  evidences 
of  prosperity.  Some  of  the  old  houses  were  repaired 
and  painted,  the  streets  cleared  of  stray  bushes  and 
blackberry-briers.  Two  more  villas  were  sold. 

Pryor  had  lent  out  some  money  on  property  at  the 
foot  of  Jay  Street,  and  now  made  its  owner  a  fair 
offer,  that  was  presently  taken.  With  the  backing 
of  Mr.  Wilbur,  he  at  once  opened  a  lumber-yard,  to 


IN    A    GARDEN  251 

the  consternation  of  Mr.  Van  Alen.  His  affair  with 
Miss  Gaylord  had  progressed  to  an  engagement. 
Helen  had  already  bespoken  board  with  Eve  as  soon 
as  the  first  of  June.  Mr.  Estradura  proposed  to 
come  on  the  first  of  July.  Indeed,  Eve  had  appli 
cations  enough  to  fill  a  large  house. 

Joe,  meanwhile,  had  bought  a  business-wagon  at 
an  auction  sale.  Pryor  engaged  him  for  general 
factotum,  and  moved  his  office  up  to  Jay  Street, 
making  it  that  much  nearer  the  station.  He  also  pur 
chased  another  horse,  and  now  they  had  a  good  team. 

If  possible,  spring  looked  lovelier  than  it  had  the 
year  before.  One  cause,  perhaps,  was  its  lateness,  and 
our  gladness  to  welcome  it.  I  had  kept  every  thing 
in  my  garden  quite  up  to  the  notch,  and  there  really 
was  little  extra  work  to  do.  Two  more  trees  were 
dead,  —  a  pear  and  a  peach,  —  but  there  were  enough 
left.  I  must  say  here  that  I  saved  my  pears  very 
well  until  the  middle  of  January,  and  we  found  them 
a  great  treat.  Our  grapes  did  not  fare  so  well,  and 
we  used  them  up,  but  managed  to  have  some  Cataw- 
bas  yet  at  Christmas.  During  April  I  had  not 
counted  on  so  much  profit  in  eggs ;  for  we  were 
beginning  to  use  them  largely,  and  some  hens  were 
off  duty.  But  one  day  a  man,  who  had  heard  the 
fame  of  our  hens,  came  for  a  dozen  white  Leghorn 
eggs  for  hatching.  I  picked  out  the  finest  I  could  find, 


252  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

and  charged  him  fifty  cents ;  though  now  they  were 
down  to  thirty,  and  even  twenty-five.  The  next  day 
he  came  for  some  Brahmas,  and  engaged  two  dozen 
more  Leghorns,  making  no  demur  at  the  price.  In 
April  we  had  seven  hundred  and  ten  eggs,  to  my 
great  surprise.  And  quite  often  some  one  wanted 
eggs  for  setting,  which  kept  up  my  profit  wonderfully. 
I  sold  twenty  dozen  for  ten  dollars;  ten  dozen  for 
three  dollars  and  sixty  cents.  We  never  stinted  our 
selves,  and  we  were  very  fond  of  them. 

We  discussed  seriously  the  plan  of  finishing  our 
extra  rooms  up-stairs.  I  purchased  some  lath,  and 
hired  a  man  by  the  day,  helping  him  considerably. 
A  mason  came  and  put  on  the  scratch-coat,  following 
it  shortly  after  by  a  smooth  coat  of  brown.  This 
I  painted  when  it  was  dry,  and  put  up  some  pretty 
bordering.  One  room  was  large,  and  very  nice  ;  the 
other  fair.  After  painting  the  floors,  I  found  the 
whole  cost  to  be  not  quite  fifteen  dollars.  We 
decided  to  make  a  little  change  in  the  furniture; 
bought  new  matting  for  our  dining-room,  a  new  stair- 
carpet,  and  moved  the  others  up-stairs;  purchased 
a  pretty  single  bedstead  for  one  of  the  smaller  rooms ; 
and,  with  various  odds  and  ends,  furnished  the  small 
one  up-stairs,  and  bought  a  new  set  entire  for  the 
larger  one,  which  was  to  belong  to  Eve  when  the 
house  overflowed. 


IN  A  GARDEN  253 

Athens  presented  such  a  bright  business  aspect 
that  it  was  quite  inspiriting.  Another  incident  oc 
curred  to  increase  its  prosperity ;  though  it  was,  in 
part,  due  to  the  energy  of  the  towns  above  us.  We 
were  allowed  four  more  trains  daily,  from  seven  to 
nine  in  the  morning,  and  from  four  to  six  in  the 
afternoon.  Every  room  in  Mrs.  Ten  Eyck's  house 
was  engaged  by  the  middle  of  May,  and  one  or  two 
others  ventured  to  open  their  houses. 

And  now  occurred  an  odd  circumstance  that  did 
depress  me  at  first,  and  seem  to  extinguish  one  of  my 
hopes.  Just  north  of  the  station,  there  was  a  large 
tract  of  ground,  belonging  to  some  heirs,  that  had 
lain  unimproved  for  years.  It  fronted  on  Rutherford 
Avenue,  and  ran  down  to  the  river's  edge.  Myrtle 
Avenue  had  been  laid  out,  and  two  cross-streets,  but 
no  improvements  made.  It  sloped  gradually,  and 
had  a  lovely  sunny  exposure.  Here  and  there  a 
cherry  or  an  old  apple  tree  appeared,  blossoming 
profusely,  but  despoiled  of  their  fruit  by  the  boys. 

Suddenly  Athens  was  startled  by  more  prospective 
improvements.  The  old  Teall  property  was  divided 
among  six  heirs.  Two  of  them,  living  at  a  distance, 
placed  their  share  at  once  in  Mr.  Pryor's  hands  for 
sale.  One  —  a  Mr.  James  Teall — had  his  surveyed, 
and  staked  off,  and  talked  of  building  two  handsome 
villas.  A  Miss  Teall  had  married  a  gardener  and 


254  A   MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

florist,  a  Mr.  Riker  ;  and  he  announced  his  intentions 
of  beginning  gardening  on  a  large  scale.  They  hired 
a  cottage  in  the  vicinity,  and  started  work  at  once, 
ploughing,  laying  out,  planning  for  greenhouses, 
planting  vegetables,  setting  out  shrubs  and  plants. 

I  had  not  supposed  that  I  could  try  such  an 
experiment  on  my  own  place.  Still,  I  meant  to 
enlarge  my  flower-house  considerably  another  year. 
But  that  some  one  else  should  come,  armed  with  my 
idea,  half  broke  my  heart.  To  be  sure,  there  were 
other  places  besides  Athens ;  and  occasionally  one 
heard  of  a  plant  for  sale,  already  established.  I  did 
not  yield  to  my  despondency  very  long,  for  Eve 
looked  at  it  in  quite  another  light. 

"  Adam,"  she  said,  "  I  think  we  may  be  able  to 
learn  a  good  deal,  in  case  we  want  to  take  up  such  a 
business.  We  will  watch  what  this  Mr.  Riker  does, 
and  make  notes  of  all  the  ways  and  whys.  I  do 
think,  if  one  could  come  to  understand  it,  it  would 
be  a  profitable  business ;  and  I  know  now,  if  there 
was  a  prospect,  Mrs.  Harwood  would  come  forward 
with  assistance  readily  enough.  So  we  will  both 
keep  our  eyes  open,  and  learn  all  we  can.  What  a 
lucky  happening  for  us  !  " 

That  cheered  me  immensely.  My  fears  looked  so 
small  and  foolish,  that  I  would  not  confess  them. 

Mr.  Riker's  ground  had  a  frontage  of  five  hundred 


IN  A  GAKDEN  255 

feet  on  both  Rutherford  and  Myrtle  Avenues.  Lin 
den  Street  was  the  first  beyond  Jay,  and  ran  from 
the  river  up  to  the  top  of  the  hill.  The  next  street 
was  merely  a  wagon-road.  The  square  gave  him 
about  five  acres,  the  other  six  heirs  had  the  same. 
Mr.  Teall's  property  came  next  to  this.  I  almost 
looked  at  the  young  fellow  with  envy,  when  by  a 
lucky  stroke,  as  one  might  say,  he  came  into  posses 
sion  of  such  a  beautiful  plot  of  ground. 

His  wife,  judging  from  appearances,  was  five  or 
six  years  the  elder.  He  might  have  been  twenty- 
five,  not  older.  Following  out  Eve's  hint,  I  walked 
over  one  day  to  make  a  friendly  call,  as  he  had  been 
in  the  station  several  times. 

It  seemed  to  me  that  he  was  undertaking  too 
much  ;  that  his  garden-truck  would  be  in  the  market 
too  late  for  decent  prices ;  and  that  he  had  more  on 
his  hands  than  could  be  well  attended  to,  unless  he 
hired  a  great  deal  of  help.  But  he  seemed  ambitious, 
confident,  and  was  going  to  work  with  tremendous 
energy.  He  knew  all  about  flowers  and  shrubs  and 
soils,  and  quite  confused  me  with  his  authoritative 
manner. 

Mr.  Wilbur  came  up  with  his  wife,  and  planned 
some  finishing  and  furnishing  for  the  house.  The 
family  were  to  move  the  last  of  May,  leaving  the  two 
boys  to  board  through  the  week,  and  attend  their 


256  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE    • 

school  for  five  weeks  longer.  Mr.  Montgomery 
looked  them'  up  a  cow ;  Joe  found  them  a  "  man,1' 
—  a  stout  young  fellow  of  nineteen,  who  had  been 
working  on  a  stock-farm.  The  horse  and  carriage 
were  sent  up,  and  it  looked  quite  homelike  at  our 
neighbors'. 

Mrs.  Wilbur  had  not  changed  in  the  slightest 
degree,  and  was  just  as  ready  to  monopolize  Eve. 
The  Palmers  were  coming  for  a  week  or  so,  as  soon 
as  matters  were  really  settled.  Sadie  made  the  most 
enchanting  of  wives ;  and  Bertha  had  a  young  man, 
a  special  one.  Soon  all  the  gay  crowd  would  settle 
themselves  to  other  lives. 

I  insisted  that  Eve  should  give  up  her  music- 
teaching  in  New  York  through  the  summer,  and  she 
readily  acquiesced.  She  had  five  pupils  now  at 
Athens.  Miss  Gaylord  was  to  have  our  largest 
guest-chamber ;  Estradura  was  to  take  the  two  small 
ones,  using  one  for  a  dressing  and  sitting  room. 
When  Miss  Hildreth  arrived,  she  was  to  share  Eve's 
chamber.  Joe  and  I  took  the  smaller  rooms  above. 
Letty,  who  was  to  stay  with  us  through  the  summer, 
went  home  at  night.  Helen  insisted,  that,  when  there 
came  occasional  guests,  she  should  be  allowed  to  take 
Eve's  sky-parlor.  We  made  a  delightful  family,  with 
just  enough  variety  to  keep  us  all  fresh  and  full  of 
zest. 


IN  A  GARDEN  257 

My  garden  did  nicely;  though  I  missed  Joe  out 
of  the  paths,  and  everywhere,  arid  sometimes  weeds 
rioted.  After  having  my  land  ploughed,  I  did  the 
work  myself,  but  I  put  more  ground  in  corn.  This 
year  I  did  not  have  to  be  economical  in  fertilizers. 

Now,  as  our  hens  ceased  to  lay,  we  culled  out  the 
least  desirable,  and  reduced  the  stock ;  but  we  decided 
not  to  raise  more  than  a  hundred  chicks.  This  spring 
we  did  not  have  quite  such  splendid  luck,  but  ours 
was  better  than  many  others.  Out  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  eggs  we  had  ninety-five  chickens,  and 
out  of  those  lost  five.  I  parted  out  the  young  cock 
erels,  and  fed  them  with  fat-producing  foods,  for 
I  knew  we  should  use  most  of  them. 

There  had  grown  up  a  very  nice,  friendly  feeling 
between  our  immediate  neighbors  and  ourselves. 
Even  Mr.  Montgomery  did  not  sneer  at  my  garden, 
nor  predict  dire  misfortunes.  One  daughter  was 
married,  and  went  away  from  home.  Dan  began  to 
see,  not  only  the  hopelessness,  but  the  ridiculousness, 
of  his  hanging  around  after  Eve,  and  devoted  him 
self  to  a  daughter  of  Athens,  though  I  doubt  if  he 
immortalized  her  in  a  poem. 

And  Joe  —  our  dear,  foolish,  ambitious,  earnest  Joe 
—  confessed  to  Eve  that  he  had  asked  Ruth  to  marry 
him,  and  she  had  promised. 

"  We    are    to   be   engaged  a  year,"  he  explained. 


258  A   MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

"  We  want  to  get  a  little  something  together.  I 
suppose  I  ought  to  wait  until  I  earn  my  eight  hun 
dred  dollars ;  but  I  was  telling  Ruth  what  you  said, 
Miss  Eve,  and  she  thinks  we  will  try  it  together. 
You  see,  I've  a  horse  and  wagon  ;  and  now  I'm  going 
to  give  you  all  the  parcel-money  to  keep.  And  I 
want  to  pay  four  dollars  a  week  for  my  board  here 
after  ;  but  I  shall  do  the  little  chores,  and  ease  up 
Adam  all  the  same.  You  know,  I  never  can  pay 
you  for  making  a  man  of  me.  Do  you  know,  Miss 
Eve,  it  seems  like  a  horrid  dream,  —  all  those  hateful, 
shameful  months  when  I  drank,  and  went  in  rags  ? 
I  do  not  even  want  to  tell  Ruth,  I  am  so  ashamed  of 
it.  I  did  say,  that,  for  a  year  or  two,  I  had  not  been 
real  steady.  Oh!  what  angel  induced  you  both  to 
pluck  me  out  of  the  fire?" 

"You're  not  to  scold  Joe,"  Eve  said  to  me  after 
this  talk,  "nor  read  him  any  homilies,  nor  consider 
it  an  unwise  step.  Ruth  will  make  him  a  lovely 
wife  ;  and  it  will  be  such  a  delight  to  have  some  one 
of  his  very  own,  to  have  a  home  to  improve  and 
beautify.  They  will  be  just  like  two  children  ;  and 
he  will  help  her  sweep  the  house,  and  wash  dishes, 
in  order  for  her  to  have  leisure  to  enjoy  him.  Adam, 
it  was  worth  coming  to  Athens,  just  to  save  Joe." 

It  was  some  time  before  Joe  had  the  courage  to 
say  any  thing  to  me  on  the  subject,  though  I  am 


IN  A  GARDEN  259 

quite  sure  he  counted  on  my  knowledge  of  it.  Cer 
tainly  Joe  was  a  lad  of  whom  one  need  not  feel 
ashamed.  He  and  Pryor  were  great  chums,  and  Joe 
was  ambitious  to  learn  every  thing  that  came  in  his 
way. 

"  It  would  be  odd  if,  twenty  years  from  this  time, 
Joe  Crawford  should  be  among  the  influential  and 
highly  respected  citizens  of  Athens,  and  hearing 
himself  spoken  of  as  assemblyman  after  having  held 
minor  offices,"  I  said  laughingly. 

"  He  may  do  that  before  twenty  years." 

Meanwhile  our  family  settled  itself  under  the 
roof-tree  ;  and  our  happiness  reached  its  summit  one 
cold,  stormy  evening  in  June  when  we  had  a  fire  in 
the  grate.  We  certainly  looked  Oriental,  disported 
in  hammocks,  lounges,  and  easy-chairs.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wilbur,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Palmer,  were  over ;  and 
Eve  played  all  kinds  of  soft,  suggestive  music  in 
the  next  room.  It  seemed  wrong  and  wicked  for  the 
moments  to  fly  on  the  wings  of  the  winds,  and  bring 
us  midnight. 

Mrs.  Harwood  came  over  now  and  then  of  a  lovely 
day,  and  every  time  it  seemed  harder  for  her  to  leave 
my  sister. 

"  Is  Adam  never  going  to  get  married  ?  "  she  asked 
one  day.  "  There  are  so  many  nice  girls  about  here, 
and  many  a  one  with  money  would  be  proud  to  take 


260  A   MODERN  ADAM   AND  EVE 

him.  I  will  hunt  him  up  a  wife  myself.  Then  you 
and  I  will  take  a  long  tour  away  somewhere,  and  let 
the  young  couple  '  gang  their  ain  gait.'  " 

Could  I  ever  be  in  just  the  position  to  make  mar 
riage  desirable?  Had  I  lost  the  daring  faith  of 
early  youth  that  rendered  so  many  dreams  possible  ? 
Certainly  I  looked  more  at  the  realities  of  life, — 
counted  the  cost,  as  one  may  say. 


IN  A  GARDEN  261 


CHAPTER  XV 

AND  YET  ANOTHER 

AFTER  that  June  storm,  it  was  the  perfection  of 
summer  weather,  of  riotous  bloom,  of  such  waves 
of  greenery  that  the  earth  seemed  like  an  emerald 
sea.  Such  skies  of  glory,  such  wafts  of  sweetness, 
such  heavenly  calms,  when,  for  a  few  moments,  the 
toil  and  moil  seemed  to  stop.  A  country  life  amid 
such  surroundings  often  fills  one's  mind  with  vague 
wonders  concerning  the  other  world  and  the  next 
life.  If  the  best  of  this  is  but  a  type  and  shadow, 
what  will  the  glory  of  that  prove  ? 

I  stood  and  watched  the  train  winding  along. 
The  hills  over  opposite,  with  here  and  there  a  house 
standing  out;  the  river  in  the  interstices  of  the  trees; 
the  birds  with  their  sweet,  entreating,  early-evening 
songs,  quite  different,  if  you  will  observe,  from  the 
jocund  morning  carols, — moved  me  inexpressibly. 
Are  these  presentiments?  I  had  a  curious  feeling 
that  something  was  to  happen  that  would  alter  my 
life  and  that  of  Eve,  —  that  in  some  strange  way  I 


262  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

should  always  be  able  to  connect  it  with  this  hour 
and  the  song  of  the  wood-thrush. 

There  was  a  shriek,  and  the  train  halted.  No 
one  was  going  up  from  Athens.  A  number  stepped 
out,  nodding,  or  giving  pleasant  greeting,  then  the 
one  I  was  watching  for. 

Her  veil  was  down.  When  the  noise  and  fuss 
sped  off  to  the  distance,  I  looked  closely  at  her. 
She  had  been  crying.  Even  now  her  lips  were  all 
in  a  quiver  of  emotion. 

"  Miss  Hildreth  "  — 

"  Walk  a  little  way !  "  she  entreated.  "  O  Mr. 
Thurston !  my  heart  seems  broken.  Even  now,  to 
day,  my  brother  may  be  dead ! " 

"  Your  brother ! "  I  think  she  loved  him  with  a 
greater  passion  and  fervor  than  Eve  loved  me. 

"He  has  been  very  ill  again.  He  had  the  fever 
the  first  year  he  was  there,  but  then  I  knew  nothing 
of  it  until  all  the  danger  was  past.  Now  they  say 
he  must  come  home,  —  if  he  has  strength  to  bear  the 
journey ;  but  I  am  sorely  afraid.  I  am  sure  I  have 
not  heard  the  worst." 

"  No,"  I  replied,  with  a  poor  attempt  at  comfort, 
"  do  not  think  that  way.  From  whom  did  you  hear  ?  " 

"  He  asked  a  friend  to  write.  His  last  letter  was 
curiously  brief  and  disconnected,  but  he  said  he 
was  in  great  haste.  It  seems  he  was  improving: 


IN  A  GARDEN  263 

then  he  had  a  relapse.  A  sea-voyage  will  be  the 
only  thing.  But  if  he  should  die  at  sea !  O  Laurie  ! 
Laurie  !  If  I  never  see  you  again,  how  can  I  live  ! 
What  will  life  be  without  you  ?  " 

It  was  such  a  heart-rending  cry.  I  felt  so  helpless 
and  blundering.  I  should  like  to  have  gathered  Tier 
in  my  arms,  and  let  her  cry  on  my  shoulder  as  Eve 
did  in  her  great  sorrow.  But  I  must  leave  her  here 
and  now,  for  I  was  required  at  the  station. 

"  Go  to  my  sister,"  I  pleaded.  "  No  one  can  com 
fort  you  so  tenderly." 

I  stopped,  and  she  paused  also.  "  I  must  return," 
I  began  confusedly. 

"  Yes,  yes.     Thank  you  for  your  sympathy." 

She  went  on  so  wearily !  I  kept  looking  back 
until  I  knew  I  had  not  a  second  to  lose,  and  found 
two  very  angry  people  hammering  on  the  ticket- 
window.  However,  they  were  served  in  time.  Under 
the  new  arrangement,  I  could  not  leave  until  after 
six.  How  long  and  leaden  the  moments  seemed! 
What  inane  questions  people  asked !  Then  Joe  came 
in  sight,  bright  and  cheery.  There  were  several 
parcels  to  be  taken,  and  he  was  all  vivacity  over 
some  of  Pryor's  ideas. 

When  I  went  home,  Miss  Hildreth  was  in  Eve's 
room,  and  did  not  come  down  to  dinner.  And  in 
the  evening  she  had  a  wretched  headache. 


264  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

"I  am  afraid  it  is  very  bad,  Adam,''  said  my 
sister.  "He  has  been  ill  so  much  longer  than  she 
has  known  of,  and  his  friend  does  not  seem  hopeful. 
Sending  him  thus  seems  a  desperate  chance.  And 
her  horror  is,  lest  he  shall  die  at  sea.  She  cannot 
change  any  thing:  she  can  do  nothing  but  wait 
in  this  awful  suspense.  And  she  loves  him  so 
dearly!" 

There  were  tears  in  Eve's  tender  eyes.  I  kissed 
her  with  a  passionate  fervor.  And  we  could  do 
nothing  for  the  other  poor  girl! 

She  went  down  to  New  York  the  next  day,  but 
she  looked  like  some  wandering  ghost.  I  think  I 
never  saw  such  wordless  pathos  in  eyes  as  that  in 
hers. 

Every  one  tried  to  rouse  her  hopes.  No  one  could 
hurry  the  steamer.  No  one  could  lighten  that  dreary 
waiting. 

Somehow  we  could  not  be  gay,  though  the  young 
people  were  making  merry  with  summer  pleasures. 
Their  Fortnight  Club  had  been  a  success,  and  was 
still  in  existence.  I  should  have  stated,  that,  early 
in  May,  we  did  have  one  grand  frolic  at  the  station, 
up-stairs.  It  was  not  so  elegant;  but  they  danced 
to  their  heart's  content,  with  the  inspiriting  "viol 
and  flute."  The  dressing-room  was  my  office.  The 
table  was  set  in  the  smaller  room  off  the  ball-room, 


IN  A  GARDEN  265 

and  the  gentlemen  were  generous  with  refreshments. 
But  it  had  been  gay  and  joyous  enough. 

Now  they  were  planning  a  sail  up  the  river,  and  a 
picnic  at  a  very  beautiful  and  romantic  place.  Eve 
had  been  training  them  to  do  without  her. 

The  days  went  on.  There  were  two  or  three 
pictures  to  finish,  a  few  lessons  in  a  last  course  to 
give  ;  and  Miss  Hildreth  went  about  her  task  under 
the  strain  of  compulsion. 

"  But  it  is  best,"  she  said.  "  I  should  craze  myself 
with  grief,  if  I  had  to  keep  still." 

The  steamer  came  in.  Estradura,  who  was  kind 
and  gentle  as  a  woman,  went  down  with  her.  I 
wanted  to  go  ;  but  fate  ruled  me  out,  since  it  was 
not  necessary.  There  was  no  person  answering  that 
description,  but  it  was  a  comfort  that  Hildreth's 
name  was  not  in  the  passenger-list.  The  mails  had 
been  sent  up  to  the  office. 

There  was  a  brief  note.  They  had  not  been  able 
to  complete  the  arrangements  in  time.  Mr.  Hildreth 
was  no  worse,  but  a  little  weaker,  perhaps.  He 
would  reach  New  York,  positively,  in  the  next 
steamer. 

"  If  he  lives  that  long,"  was  Miss  Hildreth's  dreary 
comment. 

Curiously  enough,  we  go  on,  and  take  a  certain 
interest  in  the  every-day  matters  of  life,  even  when 


266  A   MODERN  ADAM   AND   EVE 

one's  mind  seems  wholly  preoccupied  with  some 
great  pain  or  anxiety.  Miss  Hildreth's  strain  per 
vaded  us  all.  Mrs.  Wilbur's  niece,  a  Miss  Kate 
Leverne,  came ;  and  we  found  her  a  bright,  vivacious 
girl.  There  were  many  other  delights;  but  we  all 
walked  softly,  as  it  were,  as  one  does  when  there  is 
a  death  in  the  house. 

At  length  this  day  came  around.  Eve  and  Helen 
were  going  down  to  the  city,  and  Mr.  Pryor  had 
some  business  that  required  attention.  I  saw  them 
off.  Then  I  strolled  up  to  Riker's,  and  watched 
the  progress  being  made.  They  were  laying  founda 
tions  for  two  greenhouses  on  Linden  Street.  We 
had  a  talk  about  methods  and  soils  and  fertilizers 
for  different  kinds  of  flowers,  temperature,  and 
appearance.  The  young  fellow  had  a  great  deal 
of  pride  in  his  knowledge, — I  might  say  vanity, — 
and  was  very  ready  to  display  it. 

"It  would  not  be  a  bad  idea  to  come  to  school 
here,"  I*  thought  to  myself.  The  amusing  part  was 
the  disdain  with  which  he  treated  amateur  attempts. 
I  modestly  spoke  of  some  of  the  things  I  had  suc 
ceeded  with. 

"  Yes,  that's  all  well  enough,"  he  rejoined,  "  when 
you  are  not  setting  out  to  make  money.  That  is  the 
theory  of  fancy  or  pleasure  gardening,  but  the  real 
thing  is  very  different." 


IN   A   GARDEN  267 

"  You  do  consider  it  a  profitable  business  ?  " 

"  Profitable  !  "  There  was  a  superb  touch  of  scorn 
in  his  voice.  "  Why,  I  could  mention  a  dozen  men 
I  know,  who  are  making  fortunes,  and  who,  ten  or 
twelve  years  ago,  hardly  had  a  thousand  dollars. 
But  they  were  not  amateurs.  They  served  a  regular 
apprenticeship  at  the  business." 

I  went  up  to  dinner,  and  took  a  look  at  my  own 
garden.  I  had  some  magnificent  roses,  young  ones 
from  last  summer's  cuttings,  and  others  from  divided 
roots.  After  all,  was  not  the  true  meaning  of  prac 
tical  knowledge,  constant  practice  ? 

One  thing  Hiker  said  that  rather  disheartened  me, 
as  applied  to  myself. 

"  I  do  not  know  any  place  that  has  the  chances  of 
this.  From  Northwood  up  to  Truro,  -there  is  not  a 
single  greenhouse  or  nursery.  I  shall  get  the  start 
of  everybody  with  mine,  you  see." 

At  two  there  came  a  telegram  from  Eve,  that 
simply  said,  —  "  Steamer  in  ;  all  right." 

Then  I  knew  Lawrence  Hildreth  had  reached  New 
York  alive.  How  strange  we  should  all  take  such 
an  interest  in  a  person  we  had  never  seen. 

At  five  Eve  returned  home.  We  went  into  the 
little  office. 

"Helen  and  Pryor  are  going  to  the  theatre  this 
evening,"  she  announced.  "Celia  and  her  brother 


268  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

are  at  a  hotel.  I  am  so  glad  for  her  sake  that  he 
reached  home  alive !  And,  O  Adam  !  are  we  to  be 
in  everybody's  sorrows  and  joys  ?  " 

"We  cannot  help  sympathizing  with  her." 

That  sounded  almost  indifferent.  I  did  not  dare 
say  all  that  was  in  my  soul.  I  was  puzzled  and 
confused  with  my  own  emotions. 

Eve  did  not  appear  to  remark  this,  or  she  was  too 
intent  upon  her  own  thoughts,  as  she  continued,  — 

"We  all  went  to  the  hotel.  Celia  explained 
everybody  and  every  thing  beautifully ;  and  the 
queer  part  was,  that  Mr.  Hildreth  proposed  to  be 
taken  home  where  Celia  was  staying.  She  had 
written  so  much  about  us,  that,  you  see,  he  feels 
quite  as  if  we  were  old  friends.  Well,  it  put  such 
an  odd  complexion  on  that  matter!  Of  course  he 
expects  to  get  well,  but  it  doesn't  look  so  now.  I 
never  saw  such  a  skeleton ;  but  he  has  beautiful  dark 
blue  eyes,  like,  and  yet  unlike,  Celia's  ;  and  there  is 
something  in  his  voice  that  goes  to  your  heart. 
After  a  while  it  seemed  to  get  settled.  Helen  was 
so  good.  She  proposed  she  should  go  up-stairs,  and 
give  up  her  room :  she  is  going  to  Asbury  Park  pres 
ently,  and  will  make  several  little  visits.  And  now, 
Adam,  shall  we  open  our  house  to  the  lame  and  the 
halt  and  the  blind  ?  "  and  Eve  laughs,  with  tears  in 
her  eyes  and  in  her  voice.  "  I  can  see  how  pleasant 


IN  A  GARDEN  269 

it  will  be  for  Celia,  and  how  dreadful  it  would  be 
among  strangers  if  he  —  if  any  thing  happened  to 
him."  —  How  we  always  do  pause  and  falter  over 
that  terrible  word  death  !  —  "  What  shall  we  do  ?  " 

"  Why,  you  have  already  decided  the  case  in  your 
mind,"  I  replied,  with  a  smile. 

"  But  you  "  - 

"  We  will  consider  Celia,  and  do  as  we  would  like 
some  one  to  do  to  us,"  I  said  gravely. 

"  O  Adam !  you  are  so  generous  "  — 

"  It  is  you  who  are  always  thinking  of  every 
body." 

"  Well,  we  won't  quarrel  about  our  virtues,"  says 
Eve,  with  some  of  her  olden  gayety.  "You  know, 
after  all,  it  is  not  quite  as  if  the  Hildreths  were  poor, 
and  would  depend  upon  us  alone.  We  have  only  to 
be  company,  and  encourage  and  keep  Celia  hopeful, 
and  all  that.  We  did  not  count  on  being  as  gay  as 
we  were  last  summer  —  and  it  is  so  lovely  at  Athens ! 
It  seems  as  if  any  one  might  get  well  here.  Mr. 
Wilbur  considers  the  air  very  fine  and  invigorating; 
and  what  with  the  hills  in  their  changing  beauty, 
and  the  soft-flowing  river  poetic  enough  for  any  one, 
and  the  drives  winding  about  in  veritable  fairy 
land  "- 

"And  the  garden,  and  the  chickens,  and  the 
porch  "  — 


270  A  MODERN  ADAM   AND  EVE 

"And  roses  and  hammocks  and  lazy-chairs  and 
my  good  temper." 

We  both  laugh  there. 

"  Then,  you  do  not  so  much  mind  if  we  have  a 
hospital?" 

"  It  may  be  a  good  training-school,"  T  reply. 

Merry  as  we  made  ourselves,  I  think  we  had  some 
unconfessed  misgivings  of  soul.  What  if  the  gray 
wing  of  grief  and  parting  should  be  folded  over  our 
pretty  home  ?  For  Celia's  sake  —  that  settled  it. 

Eve  went  down  again  the  next  day.  Mr.  Hildreth 
was  extremely  weak,  —  indeed,  had  not  sat  up  five 
minutes  since  reaching  the  hotel.  But  he  was  so 
glad  and  thankful  to  be  at  home,  as  he  called  it. 
Eve  detailed  all  the  plan  to  Celia,  who  first  made  a 
faint  protest. 

"  You  are  so  good  to  render  it  possible !  Mrs. 
Palmer  said  that  day  on  the  boat  you  were  the 
'dearest  and  sweetest  girl  in  the  whole  world,'  and  I 
am  sure  it  is  irue.  But  I  am  afraid  we  shall  make 
you  too  much  trouble.  Still,  you  must  believe 
nothing  would  be  so  delightful  to  me." 

"  It  is  all  settled,  then.  As  soon  as  your  brother 
can  stand  the  journey,  you  are  to  come.  And  you 
are  not  to  think  of  the  trouble." 

Eve  had  taken  a  great  bunch  of  fragrant  roses 
that  the  sick  man  enjoyed  wonderfully. 


IN  A  GARDEN  271 

The  day  following  we  had  no  word,  but  early  the 
next  morning  a  note.  There  were  no  worse  symp 
toms,  only  Lawrence  was  very  restless,  and  did  not 
seem  to  improve  as  they  had  hoped. 

After  that  we  heard  every  day.  Pryor,  Miss  Gay- 
lord,  or  Eve  went  down  frequently.  After  a  fort 
night  they  decided  to  remove  him.  He  would  gain 
a  little  for  a  day  or  two,  and  then  slip  back.  Celia 
was  quite  confident  he  would  improve  more  rapidly 
at  Athens. 

I  went  down  that  day.  A  carriage  brought  him 
to  the  ferry,  where  Eve  and  I  met  them.  Certainly 
Lawrence  Hildreth  did  not  look  promising.  Thinner 
he  conld  not  well  be.  His  breath  came  in  gasps,  his 
eyes  were  sunken,  his  lips  pinched  and  colorless  ; 
but  there  was  a  curious  strength  to  his  voice,  a 
certain  something  that  assured  you  he  had  not  given 
up  hope. 

Joe  drove  him  up  from  the  station  ;  and  Ave  both 
carried  him  up-stairs,  he  was  so  exhausted.  Eve 
and  Helen  had  arranged  the  room  like  a  little  bower, 
and  brought  up  one  of  the  reclining-chairs ;  but 
Hildreth  begged  to  go  straight  to  bed. 

"  You  are  all  so  kind,  that  I  should  be  the  most 
ungrateful  fellow  in  the  world  if  I  did  not  get  well 
now  !  "  he  exclaimed  with  a  wan  smile.  "  I  never 
can  repay  you." 


272  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

We  were  especially  glad  to  have  Celia  back,  as 
Miss  Gaylord  was  going  away  for  two  weeks.  Mrs. 
Wilbur  and  Miss  Laverne  were  to  spend  some  ten 
days  or  so  at  Saratoga  with  the  Palmers.  Mrs. 
Harwood  had  gone  out  to  Detroit  to  visit  the  only 
sister  she  had  living ;  and  she  would  have  taken 
Eve,  if  our  dear  housekeeper  could  have  been 
spared.  I  did  protest  against  her  staying  at  home 
all  summer ;  but  she  seemed  so  busy  and  cheerful, 
and  kept  so  bright  and  rosy,  that  one  could  not  banish 
her  on  the  score  of  health. 

We  were  both  deeply  engrossed  in  floriculture. 
We  had  been  parting  and  slipping  roses  until  we 
really  had  what  might  be  called  a  rose-garden. 
From  one  well-known  rose-grower  I  had  purchased 
several  beautiful  varieties,  and  gleaned  many  useful 
hints  from  his  catalogue,  as  well  as  from  several  of 
the  rural  papers  we  took.  Every  thing  useful,  Eve 
cut  out,  and  pasted  in  her  scrap-book.  I  sometimes 
felt  as  if,  in  spite  of  Mr.  Riker,  I  should  put  up  a 
real  greenhouse.  Joe  and  I  enlarged  ours,  for  I 
meant  to  put  in  a  good  many  more  plants.  Pansies 
I  knew  I  could  raise  successfully. 

My  vegetables  did  fairly  well.  Potatoes  and  corn 
yielded  bountifully.  Our  cherries  this  season  had 
not  been  so  much  of  a  success,  on  account  of  a  storm  ; 
but  prices  had  been  higher,  and  the  demand  greater. 


IN  A  GARDEN  273 

We  had  sold  to  the  amount  of  five  dollars'  worth  ;  and 
Eve  had  disposed  of  some  canned  ones  for  the  sum  of 
two  dollars  and  a  half.  My  currants  had  been  splendid. 
The  worms  had  bothered  me  some  ;  but  what  with 
an  infusion  of  quassia  and  dry  ashes  thrown  up  on 
the  underside  of  the  leaves,  I  had  kept  them  in  check. 
Mr.  Riker  rather  smiled  over  my  amateur  efforts, 
but  did  say  he  had  never  seen  such  thrifty  currants. 
From  them  we  had  received  seven  dollars  and  a  half, 
besides  all  we,  wan  ted  to  use.  To  a  hotel  up  above 
us,  I  had  sent  raspberries  daily  ;  and  though  they 
were  cheap,  still  my  account  of  eleven  dollars  looked 
pretty  fair.  I  had  planted  early  tomatoes  and 
cucumbers  under  cold-frames,  and  made  a  fair  suc 
cess  of  the  first,  and  an  excellent  one  of  the  second. 
Tomatoes  I  sold  only  while  prices  were  high.  Of 
course,  mine  were  in  small  quantities,  and  I  disposed 
of  them  to  special  customers.  They  brought  me 
in  five  dollars  and  a  half.  We  took  our  chance  with 
them  after  prices  came  down.  The  first  cucumbers 
I  sold  for  seventy  cents  a  dozen.  For  some  reason,  — 
care  and  study  of  soil,  I  think,  —  mine  were  excep 
tionally  fine  and  growthy.  They  brought  me  in 
twelve  dollars  and  ten  cents.  Our  harvest  apple  was 
delightful :  our  peaches  would  do  well,  and  the  black 
berries  were  still  to  hear  from.  So  far  we  had  taken 
in  forty-three  dollars  and  fifty  cents,  and  seven  dollars 


274  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

from  chickens  sold.  I  had  planted  hills  of  corn  among 
some  of  my  early  vegetables,  and  by  the  time  they 
were  done  with,  the  corn  had  a  good  start.  Cer 
tainly,  I  improved  my  ground.  I  kept  it  rich  and 
soft,  working  it  frequently.  I  wanted  to  try  my 
utmost  in  order  to  have  a  fair  understanding  of  the 
possibilities  of  the  ground.  Mr.  Riker's  coming  had 
spurred  me  to  my  best  efforts.  I  think  I  made  gar 
dening  more  profitable  than  he  did.  His  work  was 
spread  over  too  much  surface.  Two  acres  well  cul 
tivated  would  have  given  a  better  result.  All  his 
vegetables  were  too  late  for  decent  prices.  Some 
he  allowed  to  go  to  seed,  but  even  in  this  he  was 
not  very  successful.  He  progressed  very  well  with 
his  greenhouses :  indeed,  I  thought  this  part  of  the 
business  displayed  more  real  capacity  than  any  other. 

After  about  a  week,  Mr.  Hildreth  began  to  show 
signs  of  improvement.  Up  to  this  period,  one  of  the 
troubles  had  been  utter  lack  of  appetite.  Eve  and 
Celia  concocted  dainty  dishes,  and  the  fruit  was 
especially  grateful  to  him.  Celia  brightened  up 
wonderfully,  and  the  delicate  tints  came  back  to 
her  soft  cheeks.  Mr.  Estradura  paid  the  invalid  a 
visit  nearly  every  evening,  as  Hildreth  was  a  fluent 
talker  in  both  French  and  Spanish. 

"When  I  can  come  down-stairs,"  poor  Hildreth 
would  say  longingly,  as  we  talked  of  pleasures. 


IN  A  GARDEN  275 

But  we  were  not  doleful.  Indeed,  Athens  was 
becoming  quite  a  lively  place.  There  was  a  stir  and 
life  among  the  young  people,  a  number  of  engage 
ments,  and  several  marriages.  Pryor's  lumber-yard 
was  an  undoubted  success,  and  now  he  resolved  to 
add  a  coal-shed. 

"  I  shall  take  possession  of  Joe  Crawford,"  he  said 
to  me.  "  He  is  going  to  make  a  splendid  business- 
manager.  Just  look  at  the  way  he  has  worked  up 
this  parcel  business,  and  carrying  passengers  and  old 
ladies  to  and  fro.  Why,  there  has  not  been  a  young 
fellow,  nor  an  old  fellow,  with  vim  enough  to  start 
the  thing.  But  he  is  worth  more  than  that  brings 
him  in,  and  he  wants  a  special  business  training.  I 
propose  he  shall  sell  out  that  scheme,  and  cast  in  his 
lot  with  me.  After  a  little,  I  will  take  him  in  as  a 
partner.  I  shall  be  married  during  the  autumn  or 
winter,  and  we  have  decided  to  live  right  along  here. 
Helen  likes  it,  and  she  loves  Eve  as  a  sister.  Is  she 
going  to  marry  that  Cuban,  Thurston  ?  " 

"  No,"  I  returned.  "  She  is  not  going  to  marry 
any  one  just  yet." 

"I  should  hate  to  have  her.  Oh,  you  needn't 
think  I  am  going  to  keep  watch  and  ward  of  her,  like 
the  desperate  hero  of  a  seaside  novel !  I  love  her 
dearly,  and  Helen  knows  it,  but  it  is  an  honorable 
regard ;  and  any  man  is  the  better  for  knowing  and 


276  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

admiring  your  sister.  I  want  her  to  stay  here  at 
Athens,  where  we  can  all  see  her ;  and  I  should  hate 
any  man  who  took  her  away.  But  if  you  want  to 
glower  at  anybody,  Ad,  glower  at  Joe :  he's  utterly 
smashed  on  her,  in  spite  of  Miss  Montgomery." 

We  both  laughed  at  that. 

Then  he  laid  his  business-plans  before  me.  He 
could  afford  Joe  a  salary  of  fifteen  dollars  a  week  to 
begin  with,  —  ten  dollars  to  be  taken  up  weekly,  and 
the  rest  to  remain.  At  the  end  of  the  first  year  Joe's 
money  should  begin  to  draw  a  certain  percentage  of 
the  profits,  that  being  turned  over  as  well. 

"  I  have  figured  it  all  out.  At  the  end  of  three  years, 
if  all  goes  well  with  us,  Joe  shall  be  a  partner.  It 
is  better  than  taking  him  in  now,  for  he  will  see  the 
value  and  the  necessity  of  saving  and  getting  ahead. 
And  he  is  so  honest,  so  trusty,  so  good-tempered.  I 
wouldn't  give  him  for  half  a  dozen  of  the  young 
fellows  about  here,  though  I  have  had  two  offers 
of  partners  already ; "  and  he  laughed. 

"You  are  very  good  to  him,"  I  said,  in  some 
amazement,  wondering  if  /  would  not  have  con 
sidered  such  an  offer.  But  I  could  see  Joe's  fitness 
for  the  place,  and  I  resolved  not  to  envy  him  his 
good  fortune.  Was  there  any  thing  coming  to  me 
in  the  wide  future  ? 

Joe  was  astounded  at  first,  and  then  wild  with 


IN  A   GARDEN  277 

delight.  He  rushed  out  presently,  and  went  to 
hilling  up  some  corn. 

"That  is  just  like  him,"  said  Eve,  with  a  smile 
of  merriment.  "When  Joe  has  any  special  good 
fortune,  he  has  a  sudden  rush  of  gratitude,  and 
always  goes  out  in  the  garden  to  give  thanks." 

Joe  was  quite  shrewd  about  his  other  business. 

"  I  could  get  a  young  lad  to  do  this,  and  to  attend 
to  office-chores,  and  work  in  the  yard.  But  if  any 
one  wants  to  give  me  a  fair  price  for  it,  he  may 
have  it." 

The  Wilburs  returned,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Palmer 
were  to  spend  the  remainder  of  August  with  them. 
Bertha  Brooke  was  to  be  married  in  October.  Helen's 
marriage  would  leave  Eve  the  only  unmarried  one  of 
the  gay  company  who  had  held  carnival  at  our  house 
hardly  more  than  a  year  previous. 

The  10th  of  August,  Lawrence  Hildreth  ventured 
down-stairs.  It  was  a  very  warm  day ;  but  our  club- 
room,  as  Pryor  called  the  pretty  hall,  was  lovely  and 
cool.  Somehow  we  had  taken  the  new-comer  to  our 
hearts,  partly  from  pity  and  sympathy,  partly  from 
a  certain  admiration  of  his  patient  sweetness.  He 
longed  to  get  well  with  his  whole  soul.  He  was  not 
tired  of  life,  though,  so  far,  it  had  given  him  some 
keen  disappointments,  and  he  had  not  reached  his 
ambitious  aims.  Still,  there  was  a  good  deal  of  the 


278  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

doing  and  daring  left  in  him,  and  he  made  no  useless 
moans :  indeed,  he  had  a  most  amusing  strand  of 
humor,  of  that  quiet,  irresistible  sort.  He  and  Eve 
kept  up  a  curiously  gay  atmosphere.  In  some  respects 
the  similarity  struck  me  as  being  quite  remarkable. 

We  had  a  festival  dinner  to  celebrate  the  event, 
asking  in  the  Wilburs  and  the  Palmers ;  and,  Mr. 
Bradford  happening  up,  we  kept  him  to  the  feast. 
Helen  had  returned  the  day  before,  but  was  to  leave 
us  shortly,  on  another  tour.  We  had  a  delightful 
time.  Joe  was  so  good  that  he  ran  down  for  the 
trains,  and  I  had  two ,  hours  of  uninterrupted  enjoy 
ment.  Hildreth  had  to  return  to  his  couch ;  but  he 
joined  in  the  feast  of  reason  and  flow  of  soul,  —  food 
and  laughter.  We  had  some  fruits  from  our  garden, 
flowers  in  abundance,  and  happy  hearts  that  were 
not  to  be  weighed  or  measured,  but  overflowed  at 
every  bright  thought. 

Hildreth  was  not  so  well  the  next  day,  and,  for 
the  first  time,  rather  depressed.  We  had  Dr.  Rand, 
one  of  the  Athenian  physicians,  but  he  had  said  very 
little  about  the  case. 

Celia  asked  me  to  call  him  in  that  morning.  I 
stopped  long  enough  to  make  several  inquiries. 

"It  will  be  a  long  while  before  Mr.  Hildreth  re 
covers  his  strength,  —  if,  indeed,  he  ever  does,  —  but 
there  is  no  imminent  danger  of  his  dying.  He  will 


IN  A   GAKDEN  279 

find  himself  fluctuating  a  good  deal  when  he  begins 
to  test  his  vitality,  and  his  greatest  aids  will  be  pa 
tience  and  cheerfulness.  Do  not  allow  him  to  get 
discouraged.  I  shall  have  to  talk  to  your  sister 
about  this;"  and  Dr.  Rand  smiled. 


280  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 


CHAPTER  XVI 

SOME  IMPORTANT   QUESTIONS 

ON  the  whole,  we  could  see,  by  the  end  of  August, 
that  Hildreth  had  made  a  great  improvement.  He 
was  out  every  day.  If  the  girls  could  not  go,  Joe 
was  always  ready.  He  came  down  to  his  meals. 
He  sat  on  the  porch,  or  idled  in  the  hammock,  and 
sometimes  picked  out  a  few  tunes  on  the  piano.  He 
evinced  a  wonderful  interest  in  the  flower-garden: 
indeed,  we  found  we  were  all  flower-mad  together. 
Eve  and  Hildreth  talked  it  over  pro  and  con.  He 
read  her  wise  scraps  of  information,  books  and  pa 
pers  ;  and  I  do  believe  we  all  began  to  envy  Mr. 
Hiker  his  opportunity. 

"You  could  have  some  nice  greenhouses  here," 
Hildreth  said  ;  "  and  since  there  is  so  much  profit  in 
cut-flowers,  and  they  are  generally  sold  at  a  distance, 
the  rivalry  would  be  no  great  matter.  All  the  same, 
I  should  like  to  own  Hiker's  plot  of  ground." 

Just  here  an  adventure  happened  to  Eve.  Mrs. 
Harwood  sent  her  an  excursion  ticket  to  Niagara. 
She  was  to  be  put  on  the  train  in  New  York  on  the 


IN  A  GARDEN  281 

evening  of  the  2d  of  September,  and  would  find  her 
friend  waiting  for  her  at  her  journey's  end,  and  they 
would  have  a  little  visit  together. 

"  How  can  I  go  ?  "  cried  Eve  in  dismay. 

"  Celia  and  I  can  keep  house,"  said  Helen.  "You 
have  had  no  vacation,  and  you  must  not  miss  such 
a  pleasure  :  besides,  you  could  not  well  disappoint 
Mrs.  Harwood." 

"  No,"  replied  Eve  thoughtfully. 

An  hour  later,  Sadie  Palmer  strolled  over,  and 
heard  the  news.  Mrs.  Wilbur  declared  that  the  day 
was  lonely  when  nothing  happened  at  our  house  to 
stir  one  up. 

"  I  have  half  a  mind  to  go  myself,"  Sadie  announced. 
"  We  were  talking  of  a  journey  off  somewhere.  The 
sweets  of  Hymettus  are  occasionally  cloying,  and 
Mount  Ida  loses  its  charm.  Let  us  away  to  fresh 
fields,  —  the  Nile  and  the  pyramids." 

"So  that  is  the  complexion  you  put  upon  it?"  said 
Hildreth.  "But  I  give  you  fair  warning,  that,  if  you 
lose  or  otherwise  make  away  with  Miss  Thurston,  you 
had  better  plunge  into  the  interior  of  Africa  at  once." 

"  Hear  him,  ye  winds  and  waters,"  chanted  Sadie 
in  operatic  style ;  and  they  had  a  rather  brilliant  war 
of  words. 

"  I  wish  you  would  resolve  to  go,"  Eve  said  pres 
ently,  coming  out  of  a  brown  study. 


282  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

That  was  the  way  the  matter  was  settled.  We 
bade  Eve  a  reluctant  good-by,  still  we  were  very  glad 
for  her  to  have  the  pleasure.  Helen  and  Celia  and 
Letty,  and  I  might  add  Joe,  who  insisted  on  having 
a  hand  in  every  thing,  kept  house  in  a  delightful  and 
harmonious  manner ;  and  we  had  company  every 
evening.  But  we  missed  Eve  more  than  I  would 
have  thought  possible.  Celia,  Lawrence,  and  I 
talked  of  her  continually,  or  at  least  in  snatches, 
and  counted  the  days.  But,  alas !  They  came  to 
New  York,  and  then  rushed  off  to  Newport;  and 
it  was  a  full  fortnight  before  we  saw  our  darling. 
How  could  we  ever  part  with  her  again ! 

Mrs.  Harwood  came  over  with  her.  Certainly,  it 
would  be  necessary  to  enlarge  our  borders  if  we 
continued  to  keep  a  hotel.  But  somehow  we  dis 
tributed  around,  and  were  happy. 

We  paid  our  interest,  but  this  time  nothing  on  our 
principal.  We  had  not  quite  an  even  hundred ;  and 
Mrs.  Harwood  insisted  that  we  should  not  pinch 
ourselves,  and  that  Eve  must  not  wear  herself 
with  music-teaching  in  addition  to  her  other  cares. 
Lawrence  Hildreth  was  wonderfully  taken  with  our 
bright  old  lady. 

I  was  amused  with  the  sharpness  with  which  she 
studied  Estradura,  as  if  she  had  some  suspicions 
concerning  Eve  in  the  matter.  There  had  been 


IN  A   GARDEN  283 

times  when  I  had  felt  that  only  Eve's  rare  womanly 
wisdom  had  kept  him  on  the  safe  side  of  friendship. 
However,  an  incident  occurred  which  was  to  take 
him  quite  out  of  our  lives  for  several  years.  The 
house  he  was  with  wished  to  send  him  abroad. 

He  had  enjoyed  his  stay  with  us  on  account  of  the 
pleasant,  homelike  feeling,  the  ease  and  freedom, 
the  reading,  music,  and  merry  chats.  Then,  he  was 
extravagantly  fond  of  the  country  and  its  various 
belongings,  and  at  the  last  he  left  us  with  a  very 
real  sorrow. 

Meanwhile  the  Hildreths  were  considering  their 
future.  A  physician  had  advised  Lawrence  to  go 
South  for  the  winter,  and  he  consulted  Dr.  Rand  on 
the  matter. 

"  I  should  like  a  breath  of  real  invigorating  air, 
such  as  comes  in  October.  I  am  tired  of  a  soft, 
warm  atmosphere ;  and  I  have  a  great  inclination  to 
trust  myself  here  for  the  present.  But  I  do  wish, 
above  all  things,  to  get  strong  enough  to  be  of  some 
use  in  the  world." 

"  Then  stay  here,"  answered  Dr.  Rand.  "  I  know 
of  few  healthier  places.  Should  the  winter  prove 
exceptionally  cold,  it  might  be  wiser  to  try  a  warmer 
clime ;  but  I  think  we  shall  be  able  to  brace  you  up 
successfully.  However,  at  the  first  note  of  danger, 
I  will  promise  to  give  you  warning." 


284  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

It  was  decided  then  that  both  of  them  would  go 
on  with  us  through  the  winter.  Celia  was  to  have 
one  of  the  up-stairs'  rooms  for  a  studio,  and  paint  at 
home  part  of  the  time,  staying  in  New  York  on 
certain  days.  Her  aunt  was  desirous  of  trying 
Florida,  so  she  could  have  no  compunctions  about 
leaving  her. 

And  now  a  new  difficulty  met  us.  Our  admirable 
Letty  had  an  excellent  opportunity  to  go  to  work 
with  a  dressmaker  at  wages  which  were  really  tempt 
ing.  It  would  have  been  unfair  to  keep  her  from 
what  was  evidently  her  best  interests.  But  how 
could  we  supply  her  place? 

"  For,"  said  Eve,  "  I  do  not  feel  like  taking  in  an 
ordinary  servant  to  waste  and  destroy  my  small 
patrimony.  I  think  we  will  have  to  wait,  and  see 
what  Providence  sends  us." 

"  A  course  of  housework  might  be  good  for  me," 
suggested  Hildreth.  "  I  hear  such  wonderful  stories 
of  Joe  and  Adam,  that  I  am  quite  ashamed  of  my 
limited  acquirements.  And,  you  see,  presently  Celia 
and  I  might  try  your  experiment  —  only  she  would 
earn  the  money  while  I  kept  the  house." 

The  long,  lank  figure,  sweeping,  dusting,  and 
cooking,  was  irresistibly  funny  to  us  all. 

I  found,  when  I  made  up  my  farm  accounts,  that 
I  had  done  remarkably  well.  With  the  blackberries, 


IX  A   GARDEN  285 

pears,  and  peaches,  my  receipts  had  swelled  to  sixty- 
three  dollars  and  seventy  cents,  leaving  me  the  sixty 
clear  profit.  We  had  gone  on  selling  some  eggs, 
averaging  enough  every  month  to  pay  for  our  feed, 
and  a  little  over ;  and  now,  to  our  surprise,  we  had 
eighty  nice  fowls,  pullets  and  hens.  Hildreth  was 
much  interested  in  them.  The  question  at  present 
seemed  to  be  whether  we  should  turn  poultry-fanciers 
or  florists. 

This  autumn  the  boarders  who  had  by  accident 
stumbled  upon  Athens,  found  so  many  charms  that 
they  lingered  on  ;  and  a  party  of  artists,  well  known 
to  Miss  Hildreth,  took  the  spare  rooms  at  Mrs. 
Ten  Eyck's  for  the  month  of  October,  which  proved 
exceptionally  beautiful.  Of  course  our  house  was 
invaded,  and  we  did  have  some  wonderfully  enjoy 
able  evenings,  to  say  nothing  of  rambles  and  drives. 
Suddenly  it  seemed  Hildreth  made  rapid  strides  in 
improvement.  He  took  up  gardening  with  a  vim, 
and  I  found  my  occupation  well-nigh  gone.  Our 
greenhouse  assumed  quite  business-like  proportions. 
We  put  in  slips  of  roses,  young  and  tender  plants, 
and  hardy  flowers  that  we  knew  would  bloom  for  a 
long  while  without  fire,  and  live  all  winter.  Then 
he  began  to  cultivate  young  Riker. 

Meanwhile,  Joe's  affairs  progressed  finely.  He 
went  to  his  new  business ;  though  nothing  was  said, 


286  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

outside  of  ourselves,  about  the  partnership.  The 
"  boy  "  Joe  found  without  any  difficulty,  and  I  was 
amused  at  the  shrewdness  with  which  Joe  trained 
him.  As  Pry  or  said,  there  was  the  making  of  an 
excellent  business  manager  in  Joe. 

He  began  to  look  mature  and  manly.  The  Mont- 
gomerys  were  very  proud  of  him.  Through  the  sum 
mer,  another  daughter  had  married ;  and  Ruth  wore 
a  pretty,  satisfied  look,  that  was  quite  bewitching; 
while,  it  seemed  to  me,  she  adored  Eve  more  fondly 
than  ever.  And  presently  they  had  a  plan  to  lay 
before  my  sister.  There  was  no  further  need  of 
waiting  for  their  marriage.  They  could  keep  house 
on  ten  dollars  a  week,  they  were  quite  sure ;  but  the 
method  they  preferred  from  now  until  spring,  was 
that  Joe  should  remain,  and  Ruth  come  and  keep 
house  for  us,  making  herself  ready,  meanwhile,  for 
her  own  essay  in  the  spring. 

Such  a  novel  idea  took  Eve  quite  by  surprise  at 
first. 

"  I  should  so  like  to  live  a  while  with  you,"  Ruth 
explained.  "  You  have  such  a  pretty  way  of  doing 
every  thing,  and  Joe  is  used  to  it  all.  Mother  would 
as  lief  have  us  home,  but  I'm  afraid  Joe  wouldn't 
be  satisfied;  and  father's  ideas,  about  nearly  every 
thing,  are  so  different.  And  I  know  we  should  be 
real  happy,"  she  finished  with  a  wistful  cadence. 


IN  A  GARDEN  287 

Eve  debated  within  herself,  and  then  with  me. 

"  There  would  be  some  very  nice  points  about 
such  an  arrangement,"  she  admitted  presently.  "  It 
is  friendly,  and  I  like  them  both.  I  hardly  know 
how  we  can  give  up  Joe.  He  seems  just  like  a 
younger  brother  that  we  have  cared  for  and  felt 
anxious  about,  and  whose  prosperity  is  dear  to  us. 
I  should  enjoy  their  happiness.  Our  home-keeping 
is  getting  to  be  such  an  old,  old  story !  Why,  I  am 
quite  a  veteran  !  "  and  she  laughs  with  an  infectious 
gayety. 

"  I  do  not  think  Joe  would  be  comfortable  under 
Mr.  Montgomery's  very  depressing  views  of  what 
you  can  do  in  this  world,"  I  said.  "  I  should  miss 
him  very  much.  And  then,  if  the  Hildreths  should 
go  away  presently  "  — 

"  Yes :  I  should  find  Ruth  and  Joe  quite  a  delight 
then,"  Eve  answered  vivaciously ;  "  and,  though  one 
ought  not  always  consider  economy,  I  do  believe  I 
should  find  it  better,  and  at  a  less  cost." 

Out  of  my  garden-money  we  paid  the  taxes,  and 
the  few  repairs  it  had  been  necessary  to  make.  We 
had  our  coal  put  in, —  an  abundance  of  it ;  and  coal 
was  thirty  cents  a  ton  lower  than  last  year.  Eve 
had  some  new  attire;  and  we  found  that  we  were 
able,  after  all,  to  attack  the  next  thousand  dollars, 
so  we  paid  one  hundred.  Miss  Brooke  was  married, 


288  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

and  we  both  went  to  the  wedding.  Sadie  had  gone 
to  housekeeping  up  near  the  Park,  and  insisted  Eve 
should  spend  two  solid  weeks  with  her  when  "  fun  " 
really  commenced. 

Pryor  was  to  be  married  the  day  before  Thanks 
giving,  in  church,  at  two  in  the  afternoon,  and  go  to 
Washington.  If  our  house  had  not  been  full,  I  know 
he  would  have  proposed  boarding  with  us :  in  fact, 
I  think  he  felt  annoyed  because  Hildreth  was  there. 

"  I  certainly  should  be  tired  of  having  such  a 
skeleton  around ! "  he  exclaimed  rather  disdainfully 
one  day. 

But  I  never  enjoyed  an  autumn  more.  Now  and 
then  we  drove  out  together  —  Hildreth  was  such  a 
wonderfully  companionable  man.  He  had  seen  so 
much;  and  he  had  an  admirable  memory,  vivid, 
compact ;  and  his  descriptive  powers  were  fine ;  his 
eyes  keen ;  his  love  of  beauty  deep,  ingrained.  What 
a  wealth  of  asters  and  golden-rod !  what  gorgeous 
sumach !  what  shades  in  the  fields  of  green  to  brown ! 
what  magnificent  ripening  of  the  leaves !  Every 
beautiful  tree  impressed  itself  upon  his  memory. 

There  was  another  pleasure  we  shared,  —  boating. 
The  banks  of  the  river  were  a  series  of  pictures. 
We  used  to  float  idly,  drinking  in  the  alluring  sweet 
ness  of  air,  the  golden-freighted  ripeness  of  the 
summer,  that  still  lingered  as  if  loth  to  leave  us. 


IN  A   GARDEN  289 

Idle  leaves  fluttered  from  some  overhanging  trees, 
and  drifted  down ;  birds  called  from  shore  to  shore ; 
insects  hummed  and  droned  sleepily.  I  used  to  like 
to  hear  him  talk  of  the  marvels  of  Brazilian  forests 
at  such  times ;  and  yet  he  admitted  that  he  always 
longed  for  his  native  clime. 

I  think  I  sympathized  with  ITildreth's  disappoint 
ment  in  his  life-plans.  He  had  set  out  to  make  a 
fortune.  During  his  first  year,  he  had  been  ill  a  long 
while  with  a  fever.  Then  part  of  their  plans  had 
miscarried  at  a  loss ;  but  prosperity  seemed  within 
his  grasp,  when  the  second  illness  attacked  him  ; 
and  he  had  stubbornly  resolved  not  to  give  in  until, 
during  a  dangerous  relapse,  his  physician  told  him 
that  his  only  hope  for  life  was  in  leaving  the  country 
at  once.  His  business  was  in  the  hands  of  his  part 
ner,  to  be  wound  up,  or  disposed  of;  and  though  he 
would  realize  considerable,  it  was  far  short  of  the 
limit  he  had  set  for  himself. 

"Still,"  he  admitted,  "I  believe  I  shall  be  content. 
It  seems  to  me  I  have  had  more  real  delight  since 
my  return,  wretched  as  my  health  has  been,  than  in 
the  years  of  my  desperate  chase  after  fortune.  If 
Celia  and  I  can  be  as  happy  as  you  and  your  sister!" 

So  we  talked  and  rambled  about.  He  was  so 
different  from  Pryor!  Oddly  enough,  now  that  I 
had  come  to  know  Mr.  Bradford  better,  there  was  a 


290  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

peculiar  similarity  in  some  of  their  views,  while  the 
men  themselves  were  widely  different.  Had  the 
clergyman  grown  broader,  more  to  the  needs  and 
levels  of  every-day  nature?  He  used  to  drop  in 
frequently,  and  we  had  many  a  pleasant  talk. 

Then  the  leaves  began  to  fall.  There  was  a  storm 
of  days,  a  dreary,  sodden  kind  of  storm,  with  sullen 
gusts  and  thick  skies.  We  started  our  heater,  and, 
oh!  the  delight  of  our  glowing  grate.  Hildreth  used 
to  lie  in  the  reclining-chair  just  in  the  changeful 
radiance  and  warmth.  One  of  the  girls  would  read, 
the  other  occupy  herself  with  some  fancy-work. 
What  a  pretty,  comforting  picture  they  made  when 
I  came  in  after  the  trains  were  through  with,  and 
speeding  on  in  the  storm  ! 

After  that  we  had  the  late  Indian  summer. 
Hildreth  suffered  from  touches  of  rheumatism,  but 
on  the  whole  his  condition  was  encouraging.  He 
did  fret  a  little  about  not  being  able  to  take  up 
some  kind  of  business. 

Joe  decided  to  be  married  early  in  December, 
as  soon  as  Pryor  came  back  and  was  settled.  I 
thought  it  altogether  too  soon,  but  did  not  oppose 
it  very  strenuously.  Eve,  woman-like,  became  more 
and  more  interested ;  and  now  I  think  she  would 
have  been  deeply  disappointed  if  any  change  had 
occurred  in  the  plans.  Ruth  was  to  be  our  house- 


IN  A  GARDEN  201 

keeper.  Joe  was  to  "  favor  "  me  a  little,  as  he  termed 
it,  to  favor  Ruth  a  good  deal  as  I  expected,  and  both 
were  to  have  their  home.  Eve  and  I  decided  it 
would  be  worth  that,  but  Joe  insisted  at  first  that 
it  was  quite  too  generous. 

"  Why,  I  shall  not  spend  any  thing,"  he  declared. 
"  I  shall  soon  get  together  my  share  of  the  world's 
wealth.  Thurston,  if  ever  I  do  any  thing  to  forfeit 
your  esteem  and  friendship,  I  shall  be  a  scoundrel 
of  the  deepest  dye." 

We  went  down  to  the  city  to  see  Pryor  married. 
The  wedding  was  a  stylish  one :  the  bride  looked 
charming  in  a  deep  wine-colored  satin  with  garniture 
of  velvet.  Pryor  beamed  with  pride  and  happiness. 
The  Gaylords  were  all  pleased,  and  we  saw  many 
familiar  faces  in  the  church.  They  were  to  spend 
two  or  three  weeks  in  New  York  after  their  return, 
Pryor  coming  up  every  day. 

The  Montgomery  wedding  was  to  be  at  home  at 
first,  Montgomery  pere  being  opposed  to  so  much 
fuss  and  flummery  as  going  to  church.  But  Mr. 
Bradford  said  something  to  Ruth  about  the  church 
being  the  proper  place  for  such  a  solemn  service ; 
and  somehow  Joe  evinced  a  decided  desire  for  it, 
and  presently  it  veered  around  that  way.  A  cousin 
of  Ruth's,  who  was  to  be  married  a  few  months 
later,  was  to  stand,  with  her  lover.  So  they  de- 


292  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

cided  to  be  married  in  church  on  Thursday  evening 
at  seven,  have  a  wedding  reception,  and  leave  at 
ten,  taking  the  train  to  Philadelphia,  and  returning 
Monday  morning. 

It  seemed  so  strange  to  me.  Indeed,  I  could 
hardly  admit  to  myself  that  it  was  right  for  Joe  to 
settle  his  future  so  young.  One  could  not  have 
wished  him  a  more  admirable  helpmeet.  Yet  I  must 
say  Joe  had  done  better  than  many  of  the  young 
men  at  Athens,  whose  future  eighteen  months  ago 
seemed  much  more  promising.  I  concluded  that 
mine  could  not  be  a  sanguine  nature.  So  far  Joe 
had  kept  himself  perfectly  sober,  and  still  reported 
every  Saturday  night.  Indeed,  I  am  not  sure  but 
that  in  our  last  tryst  before  his  marriage,  both  were 
very  near  to  tears. 

"  Thurston,"  he  said,  with  a  great,  joyful  tremble 
in  his  voice,  "I'm  the  happiest  fellow  alive.  I 
would  not  change  places  with  any  one." 

The  marriage  was  certainly  a  pretty  one.  Both 
looked  their  best,  and  Joe  was  handsome  enough  for 
any  one  to  be  proud  of.  Ruth  was  fair  and  sweet  in 
her  flowing  white,  and  an  abundance  of  white  chry 
santhemums.  I  must  say  here  that  Hilelreth  and  I 
were  trying  some  experiments  with  these  in  our 
greenhouse. 

We  all  went  to  the  reception ;    and  it  was  quite 


IN  A  GARDEN  293 

charming,  thanks  to  Eve's  planning.  Then  we  kissed 
our  young  travellers,  and  they  went  out  to  test  the 
sweet  and  the  bitter  of  the  world  for  themselves. 

"  I  should  like  to  cry  ! "  exclaimed  Eve,  when  we 
returned  home.  "  Do  you  know,  Adam,  I  feel  as 
if  it  was  our  very  own  son  who  is  speeding  away 
to  this  unknown  country.  It  is  strange  how  Joe  has 
come  into  our  hearts." 

"  Put  me  in  the  lonely  place,"  entreated  Celia. 

Eve  went  and  twined  her  arms  about  the  other's 
neck. 

"  See  here,  Thurston,"  said  Hildreth,  in  an  odd, 
whimsical  manner,  "suppose  you  adopt  me,  then? 
I  shall  want  to  belong  to  some  one.  I'm  too  utterly 
thin  to  be  left  out  in  the  cold." 

We  all  laughed  at  that.  And  yet,  can  anybody 
explain  the  inexpressible  sadness  that  comes  over 
one  now  and  then,  — 

"  That  resembles  sorrow  only 
As  the  mists  resemble  rain  "  ? 

We  were  all,  I  think,  in  the  state  of  feeling  where 
the  soul  reaches  out  blindly ;  where  the  new  life  is 
a  formless  thing ;  a  spirit,  moving  upon  the  waters, 
dimly  conscious  that  some  truth  will  be  evolved  to 
change  the  old  existence.  Even  the  laugh  seemed 
a  cover  merely  for  some  deeper  emotion. 


294  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

We  four  were  alone  the  few  days  that  followed. 
No  guests  came :  I  think,  indeed,  Mr.  Bradford  was 
the  only  one  who  called.  Pryor  was  busier  than  the 
mythical  bee. 

"To  tell  the  truth,  Thurston,"  he  said  Saturday 
evening,  as  he  dropped  in  for  the  train,  "I  don't 
believe  I  could  get  along  without  Joe.  I  begin  to 
have  a  wonderful  respect  for  the  manner  in  which 
he  manages  every  thing.  Joe  will  make  a  rich  man 
if  he  should  live,  and  a  first-class  man  as  well." 

Dear  Joe !  My  heart  beat  unwontedly  at  this 
praise. 

Sunday  was  crisp,  clear,  and  one  of  those  uplifting 
days  when  the  hours  seem  so  full  and  long,  and 
bound  about  with  a  heavenly  satisfaction.  We  staid 
at  home  in  the  evening,  and  read  and  sang.  I  always 
remember  how  lovely  Celia  looked  that  evening. 

But  we  came  to  a  new  phase  of  life.  We  always 
were,  I  think,  having  new  phases.  It  grew  colder, 
quite  winter-like  indeed  ;  and  Joe  returned  about 
noon,  looking  so  serenely  and  joyfully  happy,  that 
I  envied  him. 

The  last  of  the  week  they  moved.  Joe  told  me 
privately,  that  while  mother  Montgomery  was  as  good 
as  an  angel,  the  old  gentleman  was  just  too  queer  for 
any  thing.  "  And  he  is  continually  saying  you  will 
never  get  back  the  money  you  have  put  in  your 


IX  A  GARDEX  295 

house ;  and  that  Pryor,  Corwin,  and  two  or  three 
others,  will  be  the  ruin  of  Athens.  If  his  property  is 
worth  a  good  deal,  so  is  yours :  if  all  this  business 
down  by  the  river,  and  the  new  houses  being  built, 
depreciate  values,  he  had  better  sell  out  now,  before 
he  goes  any  farther." 

Joe  was  at  home  with  us,  of  course ;  but  it  seemed 
a  little  odd  about  Ruth  at  first. 

"  It  is  just  the  same,  in  one  way,  as  if  we  were 
boarding  with  you,"  Eve  explained.  "  You  are  the 
mistress  of  a  certain  department.  You  must  invite 
your  friends  to  visit  you ;  and  when  you  and  Joe 
want  to  go  out  for  an  evening,  or  a  day,  I  will  step 
in,  and  take  the  reins  of  government." 

By  Christmas  we  were  working  harmoniously,  and 
it  proved  a  very  pleasant  arrangement  for  Eve;  while 
Ruth,  who  was  quick  and  ambitious,  learned  many 
useful  ways  and  bits  of  knowledge  that  somehow 
came  natural  to  Eve.  Joe  was  idiotically  happy, 
we  said ;  but  he  took  our  badinage  in  good  part. 

We  four  went  down  to  the  Palmers's  for  a  Christ 
mas  dinner.  All  Sadie's  family  and  the  Wilburs 
had  been  invited.  It  was  very  bright  and  jolly; 
and  once  again  Eve  had  to  relate  experiences  of 
living  over  a  railroad  station,  which  she  did  in  her 
most  amusing  manner. 

Soon  after  this   an   incident   happened   that   set- 


296  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EYE 

tied  some  matters  definitely,  although  we  did  not 
understand  all  its  bearings  at  the  time.  A  friend 
of  the  Hildreths  wrote  for  Lawrence  to  come  out 
to  Minnesota.  There  were  fine  business  openings; 
and  his  town  was  the  centre  of  health  and  length 
of  life,  according  to  his  accounts.  So  Lawrence 
proposed  he  arid  Celia  should  make  a  visit,  and  if 
they  found  it  of  incalculable  benefit,  they  might  try 
it  permanently. 

"  I  am  very  well  satisfied  here :  still,  if  it  should 
be  best  for  you "  —  and  Celia  made  a  curious 
pause. 

"Then  marry  him  to  some  nice  girl,  and  come 
back  to  us,"  said  Eve  in  a  spirited  manner. 

They  went  about  the  middle  of  January.  Every 
three  days  one  or  the  other  wrote,  so  we  had  two 
letters  a  week.  But  we  missed  them  sorely.  Was 
life  becoming  a  graver  matter  ?  Mrs.  Harwood  came 
over  and  staid  a  week  with  us,  and  brought  Eve 
what  she  termed  a  lot  of  old  finery. 

"What  you  don't  want,  you  can  give  away,"  she 
declared  with  her  short,  bright  laugh.  "But  you 
have  such  a  genius  for  remodelling;  and  some  of 
these  garments  are  not  the  kind  to  give  in  charity, 
or  bestow  upon  your  washerwoman." 

"  I  should  think  not,  indeed,"  said  Eve  afterward, 
as  she  and  Ruth  inspected  them.  "  Why,  it  is  as 


IX   A   GARDEN  297 

much  of  a  treasure  as  aunt  Carry's  tfunk  of  goods ; 
and  that,  I  believe,  dressed  me  for  a  year.  My  dear 
Adam,  next  to  being  rich  yourself,  is  the  possession 
of  rich  friends." 

But  we  did  miss  the  Hildreths.  I  think  I  made 
another  discovery  "about  these  times,"  in  the  par 
lance  of  an  old-fashioned  almanac.  Was  it  Joe's  and 
Pryor's  infinite  satisfaction  that  roused  a  longing  in 
my  soul  that  I  had  never  experienced  before  ?  Or 
was  it  that  the  one  who  had  gone  out  had  taken 
something  I  had  not  understood  before,  —  that  one 
learned  indeed,  by  missing  it,  how  necessary  it  had 
become  to  the  comfort  and  joy  of  one's  life  ? 

I  knew  by  the  want  and  hunger  of  soul,  that  could 
not  be  appeased  by  the  sweetest  and  daintiest  moods  of 
Eve,  —  and  it  seemed  to  me  she  had  grown  strangely, 
awesomely  sweet,  —  what  it  was  that  had  befallen 
me.  I  had  drifted  into  caring  for  another.  I  would 
not  admit  that  it  was  really  love.  Fascinating  as  the 
glimpse  vouchsafed  me  proved,  I  knew  there  were 
heights  and  depths  that  these  vague  imaginings 
barely  shadowed.  If  a  man  allowed  himself  to  love 
—  if  a  woman  loved  —  if  he  glanced  into  her  eyes  and 
saw  the  knowledge  written  there  that  nothing  could 
ever  entirely  hide  —  the  possibility  was  that  delicious 
kind  of  torture  that  one  returns  to  with  a  breaking 
heart,  that  one  holds  to  his  soul  until  the  very  forces 


298  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

of  life  are  drained.  And  yet — what  had  I  to  offer 
that  she  would  care  to  accept  ?  She  had  a  better  posi 
tion  than  I,  she  made  twice  the  money  I  did  —  more 
than  that  perhaps.  To  take  her,  would  be  to  mar  her 
life.  And  I  had  tied  myself  here !  I  had  shut  out 
my  own  hopes  of  advancement.  The  delusive  joy  of 
having  something  of  one's  own  in  the  shape  of  a 
home,  cut  me  off  from  the  greater  joy.  I  must  be 
manly  enough  to  do  my  duty  to  Eve,  and  my  whole 
duty  to  Celia  Hildreth. 


IN  A  GARDEN  299 


CHAPTER  XVII 

SWEET,    FATAL   KNOWLEDGE 

I  KEPT  myself  very  busy.  I  was  restless  and 
unhappy,  and  did  not  wish  Eve  to  have  the  faint 
est  suspicion.  Every  moment  I  was  at  work  some 
where.  Our  chickens  —  hens,  rather  —  were  doing 
finely,  exceeding  our  last  year's  profits.  We  had 
many  excellent  layers :  we  fed  for  eggs,  and  had 
them  too.  It  was  cold  weather,  and  prices  ruled 
high.  Then  I  had  a  plan  for  early  strawberries  and 
cucumbers.  I  had  bought  some  old  sashes,  and 
put  in  the  stray  panes  myself,  and  made  others. 
My  endeavors  were  to  be  in  the  nature  of  experi 
ments,  and  I  resolved  somehow  to  make  some 
money  outside  of  my  salary.  I  really  did  envy 
Joe  his  chance,  and  half  wished  I  had  cast  in  my 
lot  with  Pryor. 

Helen  came  up  and  spent  a  week,  and  of  course 
we  had  the  happy  husband.  Pryor  was  so  full  of 
schemes,  so  hopeful.  He  had  sold  four  of  his  houses, 
and  was  building  two  others,  and  working  with  all 


300  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

his  energy  to  get  another  large  factory  to  locate  at 
Athens.  I  think  their  visit  was  quite  a  god-send 
to  me :  it  broke  up  the  mad,  despairing,  perpetual 
revery.  Other  men  had  seen  possibilities,  no  doubt, 
and  given  them  up  as  well ;  for  give  it  up,  I  re 
solved  I  would.  Some  other  woman  might  find  it 
worth  her  while  to  marry  me  in  the  years  to  come, 
but  my  hand  should  make  no  blur  in  the  delightful 
living  of  Celi  a  Hildreth. 

Pryor  was  wild  on  another  idea.  He  wante(£to  build 
a  summer  hotel,  and  teased  Eve  to  take  charge  of  it. 
Eve  and  Helen  discussed  it  with  much  seriousness. 

"I'll  do  it  before  another  year,  I  do  believe," 
declared  Pryor.  "  Why  should  we  not  make  Athens 
a  centre  of  attraction,  when  it  has  these  pretty  walks 
and  drives,  and  the  beautiful  river  for  boating  ?  Just 
give  a  place  a  push,  and  get  some  nice  people  to 
talk  about  it  and  visit  it,  and,  if  you  have  a  delight 
ful  hotel,  half  the  battle  is  won.  Adam,  here,  can 
raise  the  vegetables  and  fruit,  Joe  can  manage  the 
transportation  department,  and  the  business  will  run 
as  if  by  magic." 

"  It  would  be  too  late  now,"  said  Helen,  "  for  you 
could  not  have  it  done  and  furnished  in  time ;  but 
I  am  quite  sure  it  would  be  a  success.  See  how 
many  watering-places  have  started  from  the  merest 
beginning ! " 


IN  A  GARDEN  301 

A  few  days  after  they  had  gone,  I  was  rushing  up 
home  one  bitter  evening,  when  Mr.  Bradford  came 
striding  down.  "  Horrible  night,"  I  said  ;  but  he  did 
not  seem  to  notice  me.  I  hurried  in,  hung  up  my 
coat,  and  found  no  one  in  the  dining-room,  so  walked 
through.  Eve  started  up  from  somewhere  with  so 
strange  a  look  in  her  sweet  face  that  a  sudden  terror 
seized  me ;  though  a  .second  after,  I  knew  bad 
tidings  must  reach  me  first. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  I  asked. 

She  colored  vividly,  and  turned  away.  There  was 
such  a  peculiar  droop  to  her  shoulders,  an  air  of 
something  sorrowful  pervading  her. 

"  What  brought  Bradford  up  here  this  wild  night  ? 
I  met  him  flying  along  "  —  and  then  I  halted  sud 
denly.  That  curious  consciousness,  like  a  gleam  of 
second  sight,  illumined  me. 

"  My  dear  girl  "  — 

"  O  Adam !  I  did  not  mean  you  to  guess  !  I  never 
was  so  surprised  !  I  had  not  dreamed  myself  —  if  I 
had  thought,  I  could  have  been  more  careful ;  "  and 
her  tender,  deprecating  voice  broke  with  a  long, 
sobbing  breath. 

There  had  been  one  wild  bound  of  joy,  then  my 
heart  dropped  like  lead.  She  did  not  care  for  him. 
If  she  were  going  to  happiness  — 

"O  Eve!"    I    cried  vehemently,  "you   must  not 


302  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

let  any  thought  or  care  for  me  interfere  with  a  wish 
or  hope  "  — 

"No,  Adam,  it  was  not  that.  I  love  you  well 
enough  to  make  any  needful  sacrifice  —  oh,  believe 
this ! — and  if  you  loved  a  woman  tenderly,  you  ought 
not  allow  me  to  stand  in  the  way  of  your  happiness. 
But  —  I  do  not  love  Mr.  Bradford  in  that  manner. 
I  am  not  fitted  to  be  a  clergyman's  wife,  and  I  am 
so  sorry  about  it  all.  Forget  it,  Adam,  and  help  me 
to  forget  it.  He  will  see  in  time  that  it  would  not 
have  been  a  wise  step.  O  Adam !  surely  you  are 
not  tired  of  me  ?  "  and  Eve  clasped  her  arms  about 
my  neck,  and  laid  her  soft  cheek  against  mine.  "  If 
I  should  never  marry  —  that  need  not  keep  you 
single,  you  know.  And  when  you  are  weary  of 
seeing  me  around,  you  remember  there  is  Mrs. 
Harwood  "  — 

"  My  dear,  dear  girl !  " 

She  gave  a  little,  hysterical  half  sob,  half  laugh, 
and  held  me  so  strangely  close.  Had  the  flame  of 
her  soul  gone  out  in  that  old  time  ? 

Joe  and  Ruth  had  come  down,  and  were  talking 
in  the  dining-room.  We  went  out  together,  break 
ing  up  the  tense  strain. 

"  Wouldn't  a  cup  of  coffee  go  nicely  ?  "  said  Ruth. 
"It  is  an  awfully  cold  night.  I  do  wish  the  Hildreths 
were  back,  don't  you  ?  or  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pryor  !  The 


IN  A  GAKDEN  303 

house  hardly  seems  right  unless  it  has  some  extra 
people  in  it." 

She  made  the  coffee.  We  had  a  little  plain  cake 
and  some  nuts.  All  of  us  possessed  excellent 
digestions. 

That  was  the  last  of  February.  March  came  in 
like  a  lion.  For  a  week  we  had  the  worst  winds  I 
ever  knew.  The  papers  were  filled  with  terrific 
accounts,  and  the  damage  to  shipping-  was  fearful. 
Western  to\fns  suffered  tremendously.  Then  a  lull, 
and,  behold !  spring  seemed  in  our  midst. 

A  telegram  followed  by  our  wanderers  signalized 
the  second  beautiful  day.  They  reached  us  by  the 
early  evening  train,  and  quite  a  procession  was  at 
the  station  to  meet  them.  Joe  took  Lawrence  home 
in  the  wagon,  for  he  seemed  very  much  done  up  by 
the  journey. 

"  I  am  afraid  it  has  not  been  of  much  benefit," 
Celia  remarked  anxiously.  "  I  am  troubled  about 
him.  For  the  last  three  weeks  I  know  he  has  been 
slipping  back.  And  it  has  been  such  dreadful 
weather !  I  do  believe  there  is  no  place  like 
Athens !  " 

And  when  we  entered  the  warm,  bright  house, 
with  its  lamps  and  cannel-coal  fire,  and  its  easy, 
well-used  furniture,  a  sudden  thrill  seemed  to  sweep 
over  us  all.  Celia  glanced  up  at  me  with  such  an 


304  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

unspeakable  radiance  in  her  face,  that  I  had  much 
ado  not  to  gather  her  in  my  arms ;  but  in  my  soul  I 
thanked  her  for  the  loving  appreciation. 

Lawrence  stretched  himself  out  before  the  bright 
blaze,  and  drew  some  satisfied  breaths. 

"Do  you  know,  friends,"  he  began,  "that  I  do 
believe  I  have  been  homesick  ?  You  have  all  spoiled 
me.  Celia  wouldn't  own  it,  but  I  know  she  is 
spoiled  as  well.  And  though  we  have  seen  much 
that  is  wonderful,  it  has  tired  me  to  death.  As  for 
cold,  and  storm,  and  blizzards,  —  well,  I  simply 
could  not  stand  them.  Of  course,  we  should  have 
taken  it  in  the  summer,  but  I  wanted  to  know  it  at 
its  worst ;  and  I  am  not  enchanted,  though  I  must 
admire.  Yet  I  am  quite  convinced  it  would  not  do 
for  me." 

We  had  a  very  thorough  home  welcome.  Indeed, 
Eve  was  brimming  over  with  delight ;  and  there 
were  sweet,  half-bashful  touches  of  cordiality  in 
Ruth  that  were  quite  enchanting. 

"  Miss  Eve,"  said  Hildreth,  when  we  had  laughed 
and  talked,  and  the  clock  had  run  on  to  midnight, 
"  how  is  it  that  you  know  every  art  and  ingredient 
that  goes  into  home-making?  The  very  atmosphere 
has  caught  the  fragrance.  The  fires  blaze  as  no 
other  fires  on  the  face  of  the  earth ;.  the  chairs  just 
fit  you ;  the  lamps  burn  with  a  soft,  suggestive 


IN  A  GARDEN  305 

light ;  and  —  well,  I  have  half  a  mind  to  say  that 
you  will  never  get  rid  of  me  again  while  I  live." 

A  paleness  flickered  over  Celia's  face.  Might 
there  come  a  time  when  she  would  belong  to  us  in 
a  sad,  sacred  manner  ? 

The  next  morning  Hildreth  showed  plainly  that 
he  had  dropped  back  a  little.  His  cough  was  worse. 
He  had  lost  flesh  and  strength.  But  the  air  proved 
really  inspiriting.  Even  the  frogs  and  turtles  began 
piping ;  and  martens  flitted  about  with  a  short,  jerky 
song,  as  if  they  were  not  sure  whether  it  was  best  to 
scold  or  approve  the  weather. 

I  covered  my  strawberry-beds,  after  removing  the 
mulch,  and  stirring  the  ground.  They  grew  by  the 
hour.  In  a  sunny  barn-window  I  had  some  potted 
tomatoes,  that  were  looking  splendid ;  and  my  young 
cucumbers  were  thriving.  When  Lawrence,  took  his 
walk,  he  inspected  them  with  a  peculiar  enthusiasm. 

There  was  another  cold  snap  and  a  snow.  I  cov 
ered  some  of  my  treasures,  and  watched  them  well ; 
but  in  a  few  days  it  was  pleasant  again.  We  had 
some  young  chickens  out,  and  I  put  those  in  the 
loft  of  the  barn.  By  April  it  really  was  spring 
weather. 

Suddenly  Hildreth  began  to  improve  again.  The 
deadly  pallor  vanished,  the  cough  mended.  He  rode 
out,  and  took  short  walks  several  times  during  the 


306  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

day,  and  was  getting  a  wholesome  appetite.  Celia 
was  very  busy  filling  urgent  orders,  and  making  up 
for  lost  time.  She  left  on  an  early  train,  and  did  not 
return  until  dusk.  She  seemed  unusually  grave. 
Was  she  worried  about  Lawrence  ? 

His  South-American  affairs  were  now  settled, 
though  at  some  sacrifice.  He  was  master  of  seven 
thousand  dollars,  for  which  he  had  almost  given  his 
life. 

We  sat  in  the  office  one  delightful  afternoon,  talking 
of  the  great  subject  of  living,  —  how  to  make  money, 
and  not  sacrifice  every  thing.  "  I  started  out  to  be 
a  rich  man,"  he  said,  with  a  little  sigh.  "I  was  will 
ing  to  take  it  hard  for  the  first  ten  years ;  and  now 
I  must  take  it  comparatively  easy  all  the  rest  of  my 
life.  A  great  many  employments  will  henceforth  be 
beyond  my  strength.  But  I  have  quite  settled  a 
part  of  my  future." 

I  glanced  up  with  questioning  eagerness. 

"You  know,  we  have  discussed  floriculture  so 
thoroughly,  and  found  that  we  both  have  a  genius 
for  it.  When  a  man  has  that,  which  must  comprise 
love  and  patience  to  be  of  any  real  account,  he  can 
acquire  the  rest.  It  is  coming  to  be  one  of  the 
successful  businesses  of  the  future.  Every  year 
flowers  are  in  greater  demand.  Let  us  join  forces, 
Thurston,  and  do  it  in  a  profitable  way." 


IN  A  GARDEN  307 

"But"  -I. sat  and  stared.  There  was  so  much 
to  say ;  and  the  old  dream  thrilled  me. 

"  I  spent  all  the  morning  at  Hiker's,  and  some 
new  ideas  entered  my  mind.  I  don't  altogether 
like  the  man ;  and  his  methods  seem  too  expensive 
for  the  result.  With  all  his  training  and  his  oppor 
tunity,  he  is  not  going  to  succeed.  He  undertakes 
too  many  things,  and  stops  too  often  in  the  middle. 
I  have  seen  just  such  men  in  other  walks  of  life. 
Last  spring  he  borrowed  one  thousand  dollars  for 
a  year.  He  has  not  made  his  living  ;  is  in  debt  now, 
and  wants  one  thousand  dollars  more  to  enable  him 
to  go  on  at  all.  I  have  decided  to  advance  him  two 
thousand  dollars,  and  take  a  mortgage  on  the  place. 
I  shall  work  with  him  part  of  the  summer.  I  shall 
go  elsewhere  and  study  other  methods.  Next  year 
he  will  want  some  more  money.  He  is  going  to 
lose  that  place  just  as  surely  as  that  he  once  owned 
it ;  and  there  will  be  a  chance.  I  shall  not  defraud 
him,  nor  make  a  hard  bargain ;  but  if  we  can  agree 
upon  it,  Thurston,  why  not  cast  in  our  lives  to 
gether?  When  I  was  in  New  York,  talking  over 
matters  with  a  sensible  physician,  he  recommended 
light  farming  —  fancy  farming ;  and  I  spoke  of  this, 
which  he  seemed  to  think  would  answer  if  I  did 
not  confine  myself  too  closely  to  greenhouses  dur 
ing  the  winter.  Two  of  us  could  manage  admirably. 
What  do  you  say  to  it  ?  " 


308  A  MODERN  ADAM   AND   EVE 

I  was  so  surprised  that  at  the  first  moment  I  could 
say  nothing  ;  then  I  gasped,  — 

"  But  you  forget  that  I  have  no  money." 

"  Well,  some  of  the  most  successful  florists  have 
come  up  from  one  small  greenhouse.  I  have  money 
enough  to-  buy  the  plot  of  ground,  when  it  falls  in, 
as  it  is  sure  to  do.  And,  Thurston,  I  don't  believe 
I  could  like  or  esteem  a  brother  of  blood  any  more 
highly  than  I  do  you.  Well,  let  me  go  on,  and  tell 
the  truth  —  nothing  may  ever  come  of  it  —  but,  if 
God  should  bless  me  with  returning  health,  it  will  go 
hard  indeed  with  me  if  I  do  not  win  your  sister. 
Can  you  wish  me  God-speed  from  your  heart  ?  " 

"Can  I?"  I  cried  joyfully  as  I  grasped  his  hand. 
"  My  dear  fellow ! "  then  my  courage  failed.  If 
others  had  sued  to  Eve,  —  only  to  know  disappoint 
ment, —  would  Lawrence  Hildreth  be  likely  to 
win? 

"  From  my  own  heart  I  can,"  I  continued,  recover 
ing  myself ;  "  but  Eve  is  —  different  from  most  girls. 
I  mean  that  she  seems  to  have  no  idea  of  marrying," 
I  blurted  out.  "But  she  is  the  sweetest  and 
dearest "  — 

"  There  need  be  no  hurry.  And  if  she  should  not 
smile  upon  your  humble  servant,"  —  a  curiously 
confident  expression  crossed  his  face,  — "  why,  I 
should  want  you  more  than  ever.  I  was  not  made 


IX  A  GARDEN  309 

for  solitary  life.  I  like  people  about .  me,  a  wide  and 
diversifying  interest.  Your  sister,  I  observe,  is  very 
similar  in  this  respect.  There  are  many  points  — 
well,  she  is  the  first  girl  that  I  have  ever  been  drawn 
to  in  that  coveting  sense  that  I  suppose  always  comes 
to  a  man  when  he  thinks  of  marriage.  Outside  of 
this  is  the  larger  business  question,  for "  —  with  a 
little  smile  —  "I  think  no  man  has  a  right  to  ask 
a  woman's  love  if  he  cannot  take  care  of  her ;  so 
business  must  be  considered.  Then,  I  have  never 
believed  it  reprehensible  to  desire  to  better  one's 
condition,  to  make  money.  I  have  almost  given  my 
life  for  it,  which  I  don't  mean  to  do  again,  for  life 
has  a  new  sacredness  to  me.  I  have  an  ardent  love 
for  flowers,  and  have  studied  the  subject  a  good  deal 
for  the  mere  pleasure  of  it.  Now  I  shall  go  into  it 
from  the  profit  point  of  view.  You,  I  think,  have 
a  wonderful  gift  that  way  as  well.  I  do  not  see  why 
we  cannot  succeed  as  well  as  other  people.  Then,  I 
do  like  Athens.  I  believe  I  feel  better  here  than 
any  place  I  have  yet  tried.  So,  if  you  are  agreed, 
the  minor  points  can  be  arranged,  I  am  sure." 

"  I  do  not  know  how  to  express  my  "  —  and  I 
paused  for  a  word  sufficiently  comprehensive. 

"  Well,  don't ; "  and  a  humorous  smile  lighted  up 
his  fine,  tender  eyes.  "  It  will  be  business,  you 
know;  and  you  have  done  enough  of  it  to  realize 


310  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

that  truth  and  straightforwardness  make  the  best 
foundation.  Now  we  will  take  up  all  manner  of 
sharp  study  on  the  subject.  Honestly,  I  do  not  like 
Riker's  methods;  he  spends  too  much  to  reach  a 
given  result:  and  I  think  you  have  a  wonderful 
economy  of  forces.  That  is  one  secret  of  success." 

"Depend  upon  me  for  the  very  best  that  is  in 
me,"  I  made  reply.  Somehow,  I  was  deeply  touched. 
I  could  only  think  that  my  small  efforts  for  Joe  were 
being  repaid  fourfold. 

Mrs.  Wilbur  and  Mrs.  Palmer  were  up  a  day  or 
two  after  this.  They  had  to  inspect  the  young  chick 
ens.  I  had  forty-five  with  three  hens,  though  it  had 
taken  five  hens  to  hatch  them  out.  The  ladies 
shrieked  over  my  window  of  tomato-plants,  with 
small  green  tomatoes  the  size  of  a  cherry. 

"  Oh,  you  should  see  the  strawberries !  "  cried  Eve. 
And  now  the  loveliness  of  the  chickens  paled. 

The  strawberries  were  doing  well.  I  had  kept 
them  covered  on  the  coldest  days;  the  ground  was 
rich;  they  had  been  aired  and  watered;  and  now 
some  berries  were  nearly  grown,  and  had  a  whitish 
look. 

"You  will  sell  them,  of  course,"  said  Mrs.  Palmer. 
"  You  never  could  be  so  extravagant  as  to  eat  straw 
berries  at  from  one  to  two  dollars  a  quart,  and  I 
shall  engage  some." 


IN  A  GARDEN  311 

She  laughed  so  mischievously,  like  the  Sadie 
Brooke  of  old. 

"Yes,"  I  answered  as  gayly,  "on  the  principle 
that  farmers  never  can  afford  to  use  fresh  eggs,  or 
spring  chickens,  or  any  thing  in  season." 

"But  you  certainly  will  have  some  to  spare,  so 
you  can  count  me  in.  Why  do  you  not  have  a 
great  greenhouse  full  of  them?" 

"  For  the  best  reason  of  all,  —  I  have  not  the 
greenhouse." 

"You  ought  to  have,"  said  Mrs.  Wilbur.  Then 
she  took  a  comprehensive  survey  of  the  place.  "  Mr. 
Thurston,  I  shall  suggest  to  Mr.  Wilbur  that  he 
build  you  a  greenhouse,  and  we  take  the  interest- 
money  in  flowers  and  early  fruits — berries.  Why, 
you  might  make  money  enough  to  pay  for  it  all ! 
You  and  Miss  Thurston  are  the  most  wonderful 
people  I  ever  met.  And  when  you  see  Eve  dancing 
around  like  a  butterfly,  you  wouldn't  suppose  "  — 

"  That  I  had  an  idea,"  interrupted  Eve.  "  Why, 
/  think  I  have  ideas  enough  to  furnish  a  whole 
colony.  Why  doesn't  some  association  send  me  to 
the  West,  or  to  Florida?" 

"  Let  such  a  plan  be  mentioned,"  declared  Sadie, 
"and  I  shall  straightway  choke  the  mentioner. 
Besides,  you  are  to  have  a  hotel  here  in  Athens,  and 
a  greenhouse.  We  shall  fill  the  hotel  with  our  most 


312  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

delightful  friends,  and  we  shall  buy  the  contents 
of  the  greenhouses." 

We  went  in  for  a  lunch,  and  had  a  merry  time. 
Afterward,  Mrs.  Palmer  took  me  solemnly  apart,  to 
the  great  amusement  of  the  others. 

"  See  here,"  she  began,  in  her  eager,  girlish  way, 
"I  just  want  to  say  to  you,  that,  if  you  desire  to 
start  in  any  of  these  things,  you  shall  have  whatever 
money  you  want.  Mr.  Palmer  will  advance  it,  and 
I  will  be  the  security." 

"Thank  you  a  thousand  times,"  I  made  answer 
from  a  full  heart. 

I  may  as  well  say  here,  that,  of  my  strawberries 
raised  under  glass,  I  sold,  during  the  first  two  weeks 
in  May,  twenty  quarts  at  a  dollar  a  quart,  and  fifteen 
at  seventy-five  cents.  But  we  were  like  the  farmers, 
—  we  did  not  eat  any  except  the  imperfect  ones. 
They  were  large  and  fine  flavored,  for  I  kept  them 
on  until  ripe ;  and  I  could  have  sold  twice  that 
amount.  The  plants  had  been  forced  beyond  their 
strength,  and  most  of  them  died  through  the  sum 
mer  ;  but  I  had  plenty  of  others.  My  tomatoes  did 
fairly  well,  and  brought  a  high  price ;  and  my  next 
lot  was  ready  for  sale  before  Mr.  Riker  managed 
to  get  any  on  the  market.  I  had  ten  cucumbers 
which  I  sold  for  a  quarter  of  a  dollar  apiece,  but  on 
the  whole  they  were  not  a  success :  my  next  lot, 


IN  A   GARDEN  313 

raised  under  glass,  proved  profitable.  Hildreth  made 
note  of  all  these  experiments,  putting  down  the  mis 
takes  for  future  avoidance. 

There  certainly  was  a  boom  in  Athens.  People 
looked  about  for  houses  to  buy,  and  came  to  engage 
board. 

"  I  should  have  gone  at  the  hotel,"  Pryor  declared 
ruefully.  "  I  wish  I  had  set  myself  about  it  last 
fall,  but  I  was  so  full  of  getting  married  and  other 
things.  I  could  live  here  all  the  year  round.  I've 
locked  up  my  money  in  some  new  ventures  with 
Corwin,  but  I  could  hire  some,  I  know.  Let  us  hold 
a  meeting,  and  hunt  up  an  attractive  site.  There 
is  a  lovely  chestnut-grove  just  above  the  Teall  prop 
erty,  an  elegant  location.  I  am  going  to  look  after 
it." 

Meanwhile  our  plans  matured  more  rapidly  than 
we  imagined.  Mrs.  Riker  had  a  child  born,  which 
died  when  a  few  weeks  old.  Eve  had  made  a  little 
acquaintance  with  her,  and  reported  her  as  being 
quite  discouraged  about  her  husband's  venture. 
She  had  been  offered  thirty-five  hundred  dollars  for 
the  land  by  her  cousin ;  and  she  felt  sure  they  could 
never  realize  fifty-five  hundred,  even  after  her  hus 
band  had  spent  the  two  thousand  dollars. 

The  latter  part  of  May  a  business  offer  came  to 
Mr.  Riker.  He  had  a  cousin,  a  well-established 


314  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

nursery-man  and  fruit-grower  in  Western  Pennsyl 
vania,  who  had  once  asked  him  to  come  out.  Now 
this  man's  two  sons  had  gone  out  to  New  Mexico, 
where  they  had  started  extensive  vineyards,  and  the 
elder  Mr.  Riker  found  he  must  have  some  competent 
help.  He  offered  his  nephew  an  excellent  interest  in 
the  business,  and  it  seemed  too  good  an  opportunity 
to  miss.  Mrs.  Riker  was  very  much  in  favor  of  his 
going. 

If  he  could  dispose  of  his  business.  He  consulted 
Pryor,  and  threw  out  hints  to  Hildreth.  Then  he 
started  off  to  visit  his  uncle,  and  returned  more 
urgent  than  ever.  Hildreth  did  not  appear  over 
anxious,  and  insisted  upon  an  appraisement  before 
he  took  any  steps.  A  florist  came  down  from  Truro, 
who  considered  the  finished  greenhouse  should  not 
have  cost  more  than  seven  hundred,  and  that  the 
new  one,  when  finished,  would  be  worth  one  or  two 
hundred  more,  being  larger.  But  it  still  lacked  a 
great  deal,  though  there  was  a  contract  for  complet 
ing  it,  and  much  of  the  material  there.  Then  a  man 
came  up  from  Northwood,  and  offered  four  thousand 
for  the  whole  thing.  Riker  asked  six  thousand. 
Hildreth  came  forward  with  an  offer  of  forty-five 
hundred.  The  Northwood  man  reluctantly  went  a 
hundred  higher,  when  Hildreth  put  in  his  last  bid  of 
five  thousand,  to  hold  good  for  the  next  fortnight. 


IN   A   GARDEN  315 

No  other  offer  came  to  hand.  Mrs.  Riker  insisted 
that  he  should  close  with  it.  So  Hildreth  paid  over 
to  her  the  remaining  three  thousand  dollars.  There 
was  not  at  this  time  much  stock  on  hand,  as  Mr. 
Riker  had  been  disposing  of  it  in  any  quantity  he 
could  work  off,  and  it  was  too  late  for  vegetables  to 
be  of  any  great  profit.  So  the  first  day  of  July 
Hildreth  took  possession. 

"  Now,"  he  said,  "  I  must  make  my  two  thousand 
dollars  go  a  long  ways.  I  can't  afford  to  fly  as  high 
as  Mr.  Riker." 

The  partnership  was  next  in  consideration.  That 
required  some  thought.  At  present  I  did  not  con 
sider  it  advisable  to  throw  up  my  position,  though 
I  could  devote  some  time  to  the  work.  Then,  too, 
I  had  not  a  little  really  valuable  stock.  Indeed, 
Hildreth  admitted  that  my  roses  were  extremely 
fine.  We  settled  presently  that  the  stock  and  labor 
should  be  a  joint-partnership  concern ;  Hildreth 
owning  the  place,  and  a  fair  rent  being  paid  for 
it. 

Everybody  was  wonderfully  interested.  Mr.  Wil 
bur  and  Mr.  Palmer  offered  to  become  my  bankers, 
also  our  dear,  lovely  Mrs.  Harwood,  who  came  over 
and  boarded  a  fortnight  with  us,  and  was  greatly 
interested  in  the  hotel  project.  Pryor  had  bought 
the  ground,  and  plans  were  being  considered.  Eve, 


316  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

Celia,  and  Helen  were  inseparables,  and  each  drew 
plans  until  we  could  have  built  up  the  whole  of 
Athens  with  them. 

"  Suppose  you  sell,"  Pryor  said  to  me  one  day. 

I  stared  at  him,  then  I  replied  that  I  half  wished 
I  had  the  money  for  business  purposes. 

"Well,  I  struck  something  rather  funny  a  few 
days  ago.  You  remember  the  Mr.  Benson  that 
I  took  through  your  place,  —  the  man  who  was  so 
interested  in  poultry  ?  He  asked  then  if  the  place 
was  for  sale,  and  I  said  unhesitatingly,  '  No.'  I  saw 
him  on  Tuesday  in  the  insurance  office  of  a  friend 
when  I  was  in  New  York,  and  we  talked  house  and 
poultry.  Maybe  I  put  it  in  rather  glowing  terms," 
and  Pryor  gave  a  little  chuckle.  "  He  is  a  man  of 
considerable  means,  has  several  children  married ; 
but  his  youngest  son,  a  boy  eighteen,  I  think  he 
said,  was  badly  injured  a  few  years  ago  in  a  railroad 
accident,  and  is  deformed  somewhat.  He  has  had  a 
poultry  craze  for  two  years,  and  has  a  few  thousand 
dollars  of  his  own  to  invest.  Mr.  Benson  has  been 
thinking  of  buying  a  country-place,  and  wants  to 
bring  his  son  over  to  talk  '  chicken '  with  you.  Now 
is  your  time  to  sail  in  and  sell  your  house.  I  may 
make  an  arrangement  for  him  to  come  over,  I  sup 
pose?" 

For  a  moment  I  was  astounded. 


IN   A   GARDEN  317 

"I  don't  know  about  Eve,"  I  replied. 

"  Eve  is  all  right.  She  is  going  to  take  my  hotel. 
She  can  keep  a  hotel  splendidly.  You  may  just 
count  her  out." 

"  What  would  you  ask  for  the  place  ? "  was  my 
hesitating  inquiry. 

"  Five  thousand  dollars,  and  do  not  take  a  cent  less. 
Let  them  come  over.  The  place  is  in  its  glory,  and 
your  chicks  beat  any  thing  around  here  ; "  said  he, 
nodding  confidently. 

"  You  couldn't  get  that  for  it." 

"  Give  me  leave.  Well,  I  simply  would  not  sell 
it  for  less  than  that.  Why,  every  thing  in  Athens 
is  worth  more  than  it  was  two  years  ago.  The 
Wilburs'  building  has  enhanced  this;  and  think  of 
the  new  houses  that  have  gone  up  !  And  the  hotel 
will  make  things  spin." 

I  drew  a  long  breath,  then  hurried  into  the  ticket- 
office,  as  it  was  train-time. 


318  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND   EVE 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

TEMPTATION   NO.   II 

MY  head  spun  as  I  walked  up  the  hill  to  my 
dinner,  which  was  still  the  evening-meal.  I  felt  in 
a  whirl  of  business.  For  two  months  events  had 
rushed  upon  me,  upon  us  all.  But,  oh!  how  more 
than  beautiful  it  looked  in  the  late  sun-rays,  —  trees, 
flowers,  velvety  grass,  the  hammocks  stretched  on 
porch  and  lawn ;  Eve,  Helen,  and  Lawrence  disport 
ing  themselves !  Celia  was  to  remain  until  eight 
that  evening,  being  very  busy. 

I  have  said  little  about  her  of  late,  not  because 
desire  had  grown  any  less,  but  an  intangible  some 
thing  seemed  to  stand  between.  How  could  I  ask 
a  woman  to  marry  me  when  I  could  not  do  for  her 
what  she  was  doing  for  herself?  I  steeled  myself 
to  a  curious  patient  waiting,  and  just  now  it  was 
not  hard  to  wait. 

But,  oh!  how  could  I  give  up  this  delightful 
home?  Dreams  had  chilled  me  to  the  marrow  of 
being  out  of  employment,  of  foreclosure  of  mort 
gage,  of  loss  and  trouble,  of  being  compelled  to  go 


IIsT   A  GARDEN  319 

away;  but  could  I  leave  of  my  own  free  will? 
Never  had  it  seemed  so  dear  to  me.  A  crowd  of 
happy  remembrances  flooded  my  mind.  How  Eve 
and  I  had  worked  and  planned,  and  made  all  manner 
of  ingenious  adornments !  How  closely  we  had 
counted  our  money,  she  with  a  wonderful  buoyant 
hope,  I  with  clutch  of  desperation !  Did  she,  would 
she  ever,  care  for  Lawrence?  She  had  a  curious  — 
I  was  going  to  say  motherly  —  way  with  her.^  She 
sent  him  in  out  of  the  damp ;  she  made  him  go  to 
bed  when  he  was  looking  tired ;  when  his  voice 
grew  weary,  she  would  not  allow  him  to  read  aloud. 
She  even  arranged  his  diet,  and  he  gave  in  with  a 
sweet  sort  of  meekness.  But  what  steps  would  he 
take  to  compel  her  to  love  him,  when  she  liked  him 
so  much  ? 

"What  is  the  matter,  Thurston?"  he  said  pres 
ently,  when  we  were  about  half  through  the  meal. 
"You  have  not  spoken  a  word.  Are  you  repent- 
ing?" 

"  You  will  find  that  Adam  possesses  an  immense 
capability  of  repentance,  and  a  tremendous  share  of 
misgiving,"  said  my  sister,  with  a  laugh.  "  But 
you  must  not  allow  him  to  infect  you  with  his 
fears." 

"  So  long  as  he  grows  magnificent  roses,  I  shall 
forgive  him  and  love  him,"  was  the  reply.  "  And 


320  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

when  the  roses  begin  to  fail,  I  hope  I  shall  be  strong 
enough  to  get  up  and  thrash  him.  I  am  not  sure 
but  it  is  an  event  to  be  desired." 

"  Which  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  do  not  believe  the  roses  will  deteriorate," 
said  Helen  humorously. 

I  went  down  to  the  train,  and  found  Celia  looking 
tired  enough  with  her  day's  work,  and  drove  her  up 
home  in  Joe's  wagon. 

"  Isn't  it  time  vacation  begun  ? "  I  asked,  with 
solicitude. 

"  I  have  just  a  few  little  things  to  finish  up,"  she 
answered  in  a  rather  weary  tone.  "  And  this 
summer  I  mean  to  take  a  real  vacation.  I  shall 
spend  it  nearly  all  in  the  garden.  I  do  begin  to 
envy  you  and  Larry." 

"  We  shall  make  you  welcome  in  the  garden,"  I 
returned,  with  a  quick  beat  of  the  heart. 

"Do  you  know,"  Celia  said,  turning  her  sweet 
face  to  me,  "  that  I  am  so  glad  and  thankful  that 
Lawrence  is  going  to  be  settled  here?  And  he  is 
growing  stronger.  Oh!  do  you  remember  the  first 
time  I  walked  up  this  hill  with  you  ?  How  strangely 
events  get  shaped,  just  by  a  chance  word  !  " 

Would  they  shape  themselves  to  my  desire,  I 
wondered.  She  seemed  so  much  nearer,  so  infinitely 
dear,  in  these  worn  and  tired  moods.  I  wanted  to 


IK  A  GARDEtf  321 

stretch  out  my  arms  and  take  her  for  all  time.  If 
my  new  plans  worked  well  — 

We  could  not  do  a  great  deal  at  this  season  of 
the  year,  but  Lawrence  and  I  spent  our  spare 
moments  in  "  straightening  up."  We  altered  some 
things  in  our  greenhouse,  and  began  to  hurry  the 
other  to  completion.  Many  of  the  young  trees  and 
shrubs  looked  poorly.  We  decided  not  to  buy 
much,  but  to  bring  all  the  cuttings  we  could  from 
my  house.  We  would  make  the  ground  profitable 
in  this  manner  until  we  saw  our  way  clear  to  do 
something  else  with  it. 

"  One  could  easily  build  a  house  at  the  upper 
end,"  Hildreth  said.  "  I  do  not  suppose  we  shall 
even  want  two  acres  in  greenhouses.  But  what  a 
superb  place  for  graperies !  Really,  one  almost 
wishes  for  thousands  to  invest;  but  we  must  not 
rush  on  too  fast,  —  rather  take  warning  by  our 
young  friend's  over-ambitious  schemes." 

It  was  a  lovely  plot  of  ground,  and  Mr.  Teall's 
two  houses  were  very  handsome.  He  proposed  to 
build  two  more  on  the  avenue,  and  was  much 
pleased  with  the  hotel  project. 

It  was  a  week  after  this,  I  think,  that  Mr.  Benson 
and  his  son  Walter  came  out.  The  lad  was  small 
and  fragile-looking,  with  one  high  shoulder.  There 
had  been  a  wrench  to  the  spine,  but  it  was  not  a  pos- 


322 

itive  hump-back.  He  was  fair,  with  a  sweet,  almost 
imploring  face  ;  and  somehow  my  heart  went  out  to 
him  at  once. 

I  took  him  through  my  chicken-yards.  We  had 
hatched  out  one  hundred  and  twenty-three  chickens 
this  year,  and  had  already  used  a  good  many.  My 
Leghorns  had  been  culled  of  every  thing  not  quite 
true,  and  they  were  a  handsome  lot.  They  and 
some  games  were  all  that  I  kept  separate.  The 
young  chicks  were  in  a  yard  by  themselves,  and  the 
hens  in  another,  about  thirty-seven  extremely  hand 
some  fowls.  I  explained  to  him  very  freely  my  ex 
periments  and  successes.  I  had  not  done  it  on  a 
purely  business  basis,  but  I  saw  how  it  could  be  car 
ried  forward  to  a  considerable  profit. 

"  It  would  be  good  to  have  more  land,"  said  Mr. 
Benson.  "  I  wonder  if  one  could  buy  some  of  that 
lying  above." 

The  remark  startled  me. 

"  If  my  son  should  make  such  a  venture,  I  should 
want  him  to  have  a  chance  of  success.  It  seems  as 
if  one  ought  to  be  able  to  do  the  work  he  is  inter 
ested  in,  and  there  are  things  that  would  be  much 
too  wearing  for  Walter." 

"  I  mean  to  try  the  experiment  somewhere,"  said 
the  lad.  "And  this  is  such  a  lovely  place !  I  do 
not  like  real  country  ;  that  is,  large  farms  with  houses 


IN   A  GARDEN  323 

ever  so  far  apart.  What  a  nice  show  of  fruit !  "  and 
he  glanced  around.  "Can  you  sell  any  of  it?" 

I  told  him  I  had  sold  both  fruit  and  berries. 

"  Do  you  suppose,  now,  that  a  young  fellow  could 
make  his  living  on  a  place  like  this  —  well,  by 
branching  out  a  little  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Benson. 

"  One  young  fellow  certainly  could.  I  have  not 
given  half  my  time  to  it,  and  it  was  very  much  run 
down  when  I  came." 

"You  have  matters  in  excellent  shape.  Now, 
Walter,  do  you  imagine  you  have  as  much  genius  as 
Mr.  Thurston  ?  " 

"  This  is  my  first  attempt,"  I  said.  "  I  did  not 
suppose  I  had  any  special  genius  for  farming.  I 
should  not  hesitate  to  undertake  it  on  a  larger 
scale." 

"  Is  that  your  purpose  ?  " 

"  Not  exactly.  I  am  to  try  raising  flowers  with  a 
friend." 

"  You  have  a  splendid  showing  here ; "  and  he 
glanced  about.  "Will  you  take  us  through  the 
house  ?  Isn't  five  thousand  pretty  steep  fox  a  place 
like  this?"  and  he  turned  rather  sharply  upon 
me. 

"  It  is  in  excellent  order,  and  there  is"  a  great  deal 
that  can  be  made  profitable  all  the  time,"  I  said, 
with  a  show  of  being  indifferent ;  "  and  I  really  had 


324  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

not  thought  of  selling  it  until  Mr.  Pryor  mentioned 
you." 

Walter  was  really  enchanted  with  the  interior.  I 
think  Mr.  Benson  was  very  much  pleased.  He 
asked  about  the  water  and  the  drains,  and  inspected 
the  cellar.  Every  thing  was  as  neat  as  a  pin. 

Afterward  I  walked  down  to  the  station  with 
them,  and  was  a  little  amused  by  the  backward 
looks  they  bestowed. 

"  We  shall  want  a  little  time  to  think  this  over ! " 
exclaimed  Mr.  Benson.  "  Walter  may  run  up  some 
day  by  himself,  if  you  have  no  objection." 

I  said  he  would  be  welcome  at  any  time. 

Eve  came  down  an  hour  later  to  walk  up  home 
with  me. 

"  What  did  those  people  want?  "  she  asked.  "  My 
mind  misgave  me.  They  had  a  sort  of  buying-look." 

"  Would  you  sell  under  any  circumstances  ?  "  and 
I  looked  her  square  in  the  eyes. 

"  O  Adam !  it  would  be  like  selling  your  first 
born."  There  was  a  touching  quiver  in  her  voice. 
"And  yet  —  I  wonder  if  I  am  mercenary?  —  if  we 
could  make  something !  And  I'm  half  enchanted 
with  the  hotel  project.  I  like  stir  and  life  and 
business.  Oh !  would  you  ever  believe  that  I  coaxed 
you  to  live  in  two  rooms  over  a  railroad-station?" 
and  she  gave  a  rather  hysterical  laugh. 


IN  A  GARDEN  325 

"I  wish  you  would  tell  nie  what  a  buying-look 
was  like,"  I  said  with  a  sense  of  amusement. 

"  They  had  an  air  —  I  can't  describe  it  "  —  looking 
perplexed.  "  And  I  had  a  presentiment.  They  will 
buy  it,  I  know.  And  what  have  you  asked?  " 

I  told  her  Pryor's  estimate  and  advice. 

"  Oh,  my  lovely,  lovely  house ! "  she  cried,  as  we 
entered  the  gate.  "  There  can  never  be  any  thing 
quite  like  you  again !  And  I  thought  we  were 
settled  for  life." 

"  But  we  need  not  go  away." 

"  We  need  not  ?  All  the  same,  I  think  we  will. 
And  if  it  is  best  —  well,  we  have  been  very,  very 
happy.  It  is  like  a  fairy  story,  and  we  can  turn 
back  to  it  with  no  regret.  Every  thing  has  been 
prosperous  right  along." 

"  Do  you  realize  how  steadily  you  have  toiled  to 
this  end,  my  dear  Eve  ?  —  how  you  have  taught 
music  and  painting,  and  brought  housekeeping  to 
a  fine  art,  and  made  economy  a  science?" 

"Yes:  I  believe  I  have  a  genius  for  planning  out 
all  the  housekeeping,  and  systematizing  the  work. 
I  would  rather  do  this  on  a  large  scale  than  teach 
music.  I  must  confess  that  the  hotel  looks  attractive 
to  me ;  and,  while  I  should  not  like  to  break  up  my 
own  pretty,  cosey  home  for  that,  if  we  could  sell  to 
an  advantage,  I  should  step  right  into  that,  and 


326  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

make  another  delightful  centre.  This,  you  see,  is 
my  genius." 

"And  are  you  never  going  to  marry  ?  " 

I  turned  away  to  study  something  as  I  said  this, 
for  I  experienced  a  qualm  of  insincerity. 

"  Suppose  I  should  not  ?  Well,  —  I  shall  soon  be 
on  the  '  list,' "  and  she  gave  a  gay  little  laugh. 
"But  it  is  the  fashion  nowadays  for  women  to  be 
in  business.  If  you  are  a  successful  business-woman, 
and  make  money,  you  do  not  lose  caste.  The 
romantic  idea  of  a  woman  sitting  in  her  back- 
kitchen  window,  in  a  faded  calico  dress,  darning  her 
husband's  old  socks,  patching  his  shirts  and  trousers, 
has  gone  out  of  date.  Confess,  now,  that  I  am  ever 
so  much  prettier  than  she  ?  " 

Eve  stands  before  me,  straight,  slim,  and  tall,  with 
glowing  eyes  and  cheeks,  and  the  sauciest,  most  be 
witching  cherry-ripe  lips.  Alas  for  the  poor  house 
hold  drudge !  No,  I  should  not  like  to  see  her  in 
such  a  place. 

"Then,"  she  adds,  a  little  more  grave  in  tone, 
"Joe  and  Ruth  will  commence  housekeeping  some 
time  this  fall.  There  will  be  changes  and  changes. 
When  we  are  too  utterly  homesick,  we  will  come  up 
here  and  roam  around,  and  bedew  the  paths  with 
our  tears.  Out  of  mine  will  spring  a  red,  red  rose, 
and  out  of  yours  a  brier,  ier,  ier  "  — 


IN  A   GARDEN  327 

I  caught  her  in  my  arms  and  kissed  her.  She 
had  managed  Mr.  Bradford  in  the  most  admirable 
manner.  What  it  cost  her,  I  knew  long  afterward. 
She  would  not  allow  any  difference ;  if  any  thing,  she 
went  to  church  more  regularly ;  she  sang,  she  petted 
up  the  younger  girls,  she  sent  her  choicest  flowers 
to  adorn  the  chancel,  and  took  a  hand  in  all  good 
works,  making  herself  so  undeniably  friendly  that 
a  man  could  not  mistake.  Eve  certainly  had  the 
rare  gift  of  •  transforming  her  lovers  into  friends. 
They  could  not  resist  her :  they  could  not  refuse  to 
take  what  she  offered  them  so  frankly.  I  do  not 
believe  she  had  a  better  or  truer  friend  in  the 
world  than  Gordon  Pryor,  and  I  knew  the  time 
would  come  when  Mr.  Bradford  would  settle  into 
a  similar  regard. 

The  last  week  in  July  was  one  of  those  curious 
summer  anomalies,  beginning  with  a  thunder-shower 
one  evening,  then  drizzling  all  night,  and  keeping 
up  an  east  wind,  moist  atmosphere,  and  occasional 
rain  for  several  successive  days.  Hildreth  and  I 
took  advantage  of  this.  We  decided  to  turn  at 
least  two  acres  into  fruit-growing  for  some  years, 
quite  certain  it  would  be  more  profitable  than 
regular  nursery  business.  I  had  such  hosts  of 
splendid  young  currants,  and  others  ready  to  slip, 
so  we  did  quite  an  extensive  business  in  trans- 


328  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

planting.  Indeed,  like  many  others  I  had  filled  my 
place  so  full  that  I  must  have  given  or  thrown 
them  away.  We  decided  also  to  take  up  a  number 
of  chrysanthemums.  We  cut  squares  large  enough 
to  enclose  all  the  roots,  and  I  don't  believe  they 
ever  realized  they  had  "moved."  Then  we  drove 
down  stakes ;  and  when  the  sun  shone  again,  we  had 
awnings  of  cheap  unbleached  muslin  that  had  been 
given  a  coat  of  oil,  which  we  stretched  over  them, 
and  the  currants  as  well.  I  had  used  this  to  cover 
my  chickens'  coops  in  a  storm,  and  found  it  admirable 
protection  for  young  chicks. 

We  had  on  our  place  one  very  late  peach.  Half 
of  it  was  dead  the  year  we  came ;  but  I  trimmed  it, 
put  wood-ashes  about  the  root,  and  gave  it  two  or 
three  baths  of  hot  soda-water.  It  bore  about  a 
peck  of  the  most  magnificent  peaches  I  ever  saw, 
ripening  from  the  first  until  the  middle  of  October. 
I  planted  all  the  pits,  but  only  ten  of  them  germi 
nated.  The  second  year  I  sold  from  it  a  basket  of 
peaches  for  which  I  obtained  two  dollars  and  a  half. 
I  had  learned  that  very  early  fruit  and  the  very  late 
commanded  the  best  prices.  I  had  budded  several 
stray  peach-trees,  and  also  planted  again.  I  had 
what  might  be  called  a  swamp  of  young  peach- 
trees;  so  Hildreth  and  I  decided  that  we  would 
devote  one  acre  to  a  peach-farm,  with  rows  of 


IN  A   GAKDEN  329 

strawberries  set  between.  There  were  fifty  young 
grapevines  Riker  had  planted  out,  but  they  had 
not  been  well  cared  for ;  and  a  few  fruit-trees  of 
various  kinds.  Two  cherries  were  dying.  Some 
of  the  dwarf-pears  looked  thrifty.  We  wanted  to 
raise  enough  fruit  to  pay  the  tax  on  the  whole 
place.  Later  on  in  the  season  we  would  transplant 
the  peaches,  raspberries,  and  blackberries. 

We  decided  to  devote  one  house  exclusively  to 
roses,  and  make  those  a  specialty.  We  had 
received  a  catalogue  from  one  famous  rose-grower, 
and  Hildreth  had  resolved  to  visit  him  in  prefer 
ence  to  sending  an  order  by  mail.  I  had  numbers 
of  roses,  and  some  rarely  beautiful,  both  in  slips  I 
had  raised,  and  others  from  roots  divided.  We 
should  take  from  our  place  all  we  could  spare 
without  impoverishing  it,  even  if  we  sold. 

The  week  Hildreth  was  away,  young  Benson  came 
over.  I  let  him  see  my  poultry  account,  and  im 
parted  various  bits  of  experience.  To  make  hens 
lay  in  winter,  to  raise  chicks  of  breeds  that  grew 
rapidly  and  could  be  put  on  the  market  early, 
and  to  keep  some  choice  kinds,  —  pure,  of  course,  — 
from  which  one  could  sell  eggs  for  hatching,  seemed 
about  the  greatest  points.  As  for  the  rest, — good 
diet,  cleanliness,  and  care  in  season,  light  and 
warmth,  were  about  all  the  grand  secrets.  So  far 


330  A 

I  had  kept  mine  free  from  vermin,  had  no  contagious 
diseases,  and  very  few  cases  of  gapes.  When  my 
chickens  were  first  hatched  out,  I  put  some  kerosene 
under  the  mother's  wings,  and  now  and  then  a  sprin 
kling  of  sulphur  around  them.  While  I  had  them  in 
the  loft,  I  took  up  a  sod  every  day  or  two,  and  let 
them  peck  at  the  tender  roots,  and  scratch  off  the  dirt. 
I  also  fed  them  bits  of  meat  and  worms  occasionally. 

Walter  had  given  the  subject  a  good  deal  of  study ; 
but  he  said,  — 

"  Why,  how  simple  you  make  it  all !  It  would  be 
splendid  to  have  an  adviser  like  you.  I  wonder  if 
you  would  be  willing  to  counsel  me  occasionally, 
if  I  did  get  into  a  bad  fix  ?  " 

"  Certainly,"  I  returned.  "  I  do  not  pretend  to  be 
over-wise,  but  you  are  quite  welcome  to  all  that 
I  have  learned  by  experience." 

Eve  gave  him  the  daintiest  lunch,  and  then  played 
an  hour  for  him,  making  him  sing  a  little.  He  had 
a  sweet,  but  not  very  strong,  voice. 

"  I  should  like  to  come  here  because  you  are  not 
going  away,"  he  confessed,  with  a  kind  of  wistful 
frankness.  "People  seem  so  nice  and  cordial  at 
Athens.  I  like  Mr.  Pryor,  and  that  Mr.  Crawford  is 
so  bright  and  merry.  It  almost  seems  in  the  air." 

"  I  think  it  is,"  replied  Eve.  "  Athens  always  was 
a  famous  place,  you  know." 


IN  A   GARDEN  331 

Pryor  offered  to  take  him  up  to  see  his  friend  Van- 
duyne,  and  drive  him  about  a  little,  if  he  would 
come  over  again. 

"  You  and  Eve  are  bound  to  sell  the  place,"  I  said. 

They  —  we  all,  I  think  —  settled  upon  a  plan  for 
the  hotel.  It  was  to  be  built  so  that  a  wing  could  be 
added  any  time  ;  and  would  contain  on  the  two  floors 
above  the  first  story  thirty-two  nice  sleeping-cham 
bers,  with  good  closet-room,  baths,  and  so  arranged 
that  rooms  could  be  thrown  into  suites  for  family  pur 
poses.  There  was  a  handsome  long  drawing-room, 
two  small  reception-rooms,  a  reading  and  smoking 
room  for  gentlemen,  besides  the  dining-rooms,  which 
were  arranged  in  three  sections,  with  sliding  doors, 
and  could  thus  be  converted  into  one  large  apart 
ment.  The  kitchens  were  below;  though  the  ground 
sloped  somewhat  toward  the  rear,  which  made  them 
only  a  step  or  two  below  the  ground  at  the  back. 
Mr.  Palmer  and  Mr.  Wilbur  were  to  advance  the 
money  for  the  building,  leaving  Pryor  the  more  free 
with  what  he  had,  and  in  no  immediate  danger  of 
foreclosure,  since  the  mortgage  was  to  run  five 
years. 

The  first  of  August  they  broke  ground,  and  began 
the  foundation.  There  was  to  be  a  driven  well  and 
two  large  cisterns  with  force-pumps ;  as  at  present 
there  were  no  water-pipes  in  Athens,  although  the 


332  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

matter  had  been  discussed.  Our  greenhouses  had 
been  arranged  with  leaders  to  catch  the  rain-water, 
and  lead  it  into  tanks  ;  and  an  old  well  had  been 
cleared  out  and  put  in  order,  so  we  were  tolerably 
well  provided  for.  f 

Hildreth  remained  away  five  days,  and  came  home 
glowing  with  knowledge  and  enthusiasm.  He  had 
invested  twenty-five  dollars  in  roses. 

"  And  such  a  gorgeous  place  !  "  he  declared.  "  It 
would  fill  you  with  envy !  Of  course  we  shall  never 
have  any  thing  like  that,  but  I  know  I  should  have 
bankrupted  myself  if  there  had  been  any  place  ready 
to  put  so  much  stock.  Yet  we  must  not  undertake 
more  than  we  can  attend  to  properly,  and  for  the 
present  we  do  not  want  to  hire  a  regiment  of  help. 
But  I  have  resolved  to  finish  our  other  house.  I 
have  found  a  better  method  of  heating,  considerably 
cheaper  than  the  contract  Mr.  Riker  made." 

This  had  been  something  of  a  bother  to  us.  We  had 
given  the  man  notice  on  our  taking  possession ;  but 
he  had  come  up  immediately,  and  insisted  upon  doing 
the  work  at  once.  When  we  declined,  he  threatened 
to  sue  for  breach  of  contract.  This  had  not  alarmed 
Hildreth,  however ;  but  the  man  had  proved  curiously 
persistent,  and  we  as  much  in  earnest  to  get  rid  of 
him. 

Our  cold-frames  we  went  at  ourselves.     The  foun- 


IN  A  GARDEN  333 

dation  of  one  had  been  so  poorly  laid  that  the  mortar 
was  crumbling  out.  There  was  no  end  of  stone  and 
rubble  ;  but  I  had  succeeded  so  well  with  my  own 
experiment,  that  I  went  at  it  with  renewed  courage. 
My  lime,  sand,  and  such  materials,  I  could  get  at 
Pryor's  for  a  trifle  beyond  cost.  I  did  hire  a  stout 
Irish  laborer  for  two  days.  We  made  two  long  rows 
of  wall  that  would  answer  at  any  time  for  a  green 
house.  The  partitions  were  temporary,  —  put  in 
more  to  support  the  frames  than  any  thing  else. 

Miss  Hildreth  was  much  interested  in  our  venture. 
She  came  down  nearly  every  day :  she  and  Eve  took 
walks  and  drives  in  a  leisurely  way.  There  was  no 
chance  to  take  boarders  this  summer :  we  had  our 
house  full.  Then  both  girls  went  to  Asbury  Park  for 
a  week,  and  Mrs.  Wilbur  persuaded  them  to  take  an 
excursion  to  Bar  Harbor  afterward. 

Meanwhile  the  Bensons  came  over  singly  and  en 
famille.  Mrs.  Benson  was  really  captivated  with 
the  place.  The  abundance  of  flowers  and  fruit,  the 
homelike  aspect  of  every  thing,  won  her  completely. 
I  left  the  matter  in  Pryor's  hands ;  and  the  very  day 
before  the  girls  returned  home,  Mr.  Benson  came 
to  hand  with  five  hundred  dollars  to  bind  the  bar 
gain,  and  to  learn  when  we  would  be  willing  to  give 
possession. 

I  could  do  nothing  until  Eve's  return.     The  very 


334  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

first  night  we  sat  up  until  long  past  midnight,  dis 
cussing  it  pro  and  con.  That  it  was  very  dear  to  the 
whole  four  of  us,  we  admitted.  We  even  said  there 
never  could  be  such  a  charm  about  another  place. 
But  there  were  several  points  that  made  it  appear 
desirable  to  let  it  go.  The  impending  change  which 
did  seem  for  the  best,  the  freedom  of  using  the  money 
in  other  ways,  and  having  no  divided  interest,  over- 

x 

balanced  the  sentiment. 

Yet  the  wrench  was  like  parting  with  something 
out  of  one's  very  soul.  We  went  about  saying,  — 

"  And  must  I  leave  thee,  Paradise  ?  " 

in  a  mock-heroic  way,  but  there  were  times  when 
tears  were  not  far  from  the  surface. 

Joe  had  settled  upon  a  pretty  cottage  in  Pryor's 
Row,  as  it  had  been  christened  by  the  Athenians. 
It  had  six  nice  rooms,  with  an  excellent  fireplace 
heater  in  the  parlor  that  could  be  counted  upon 
for  keeping  the  second  floor  comfortable.  They 
were  to  pay  ten  dollars  a  month  rent,  and  had  the 
option  of  buying  it;  but  Joe  thought  he  would 
rather  wait  and  purchase  more  ground.  They  de 
sired  to  get  settled  during  the  month  of  September. 
The  Bensons  did  not  want  to  wait  later  than  the 
first  of  October,  if  they  moved  in  the  fall.  Mr. 
Wilbur  offered  us  his  house  for  the  winter,  and  we 


IX  A   GARDEN  335 

resolved  to  make  that  our  headquarters ;  though  Eve 
had  suggested  going  back  to  the  station.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Pryor  proposed  to  cast  in  their  lot  with  us, 
and  Eve  decided  upon  a  capable  colored  woman 
that  Mrs.  Banks  recommended.  So  that  was  all 
settled  without  further  difficulty.  Our  goods  could 
be  stored  at  the  station  ;  though  some  of  them  had 
been  donated  to  Joe  and  Ruth,  and  a  few  we  would 
take  with  us.  It  was  curious  how  easily  every  thing 
seemed  to  get  arranged. 


336  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 


CHAPTER  XIX 

WE  ENTER   THE  GARDEN 

ON  the  18th  of  September  we  met  at  Mr.  Pryor's 
office,  and  bargained  away  our  lovely  home ;  sealed, 
signed,  and  transferred  to  Walter  Benson,  through 
his  guardian,  Edward  Frye  Benson,  all  right,  title, 
etc.,  receiving  therefor  the  sum  of  five  thousand 
dollars;  and  we  took  up  the  mortgage,  which  our 
dear,  bright-eyed  Mrs.  Harwood  was  ready  to  release, 
and  she  generously  offered  the  money  back  to  me  if  I 
needed  it. 

The  Bensons  would  have  preferred  waiting  until 
spring,  but  Walter  was  anxious  to  begin  his  venture. 
The  money  paid  for  the  house  he  had  received  for 
damages  from  the  railroad  company  —  as  if  any 
thing  could  ever  make  amends  to  the  poor  lad  for 
his  maimed  body !  He  would  have  lost  some  time 
by  waiting,  though  he  took  his  business  at  the  most 
unprofitable  season. 

And  now  we  —  that  is,  Eve  and  T  —  came  out  of 
our  business  venture  in  this  manner.  We  had 


IN  A  GARDEN  337 

owned   our  house   two  years  and   a  half.  The  ex 
penses  against  it  had  mounted  up  in  this  wise  :  — 

Amount  of  interest  paid $300  00 

Taxes  for  three  years 119  56 

Paper  for  walls 9  50 

Finishing  two  rooms  in  attic 15  85 

Spent  for  paint  and  labor 52  67 

Miscellaneous  repairs 22  60 

Deed,  recording,  etc 12  50 


$532  68 
Add  to  this  present  amount  of  mortgage      .     .    1,700  00 


$2,232  68 

We  had  now  to  deduct  this  sum  from  the  five 
thousand  dollars  we  received.  We  had  paid  one 
thousand  three  hundred  dollars  besides  the  current 
expenses.  Out  of  the  sum  returned,  four  hundred 
and  sixty-eight  dollars  was  clear  profit.  This  may 
not  seem  to  the  reader  at  all  extravagant,  but  we 
felt  quite  well  satisfied.  Our  home  had  been  de 
lightful,  our  living  luxurious,  I  might  say,  for  the 
fruit,  poultry,  and  eggs  had  been  abundant.  My 
income  from  my  position  and  the  "  farm  "  had  been 
about  six  hundred  and  thirty  dollars  a  year.  Eve 
had  averaged  two  hundred  from  her  music  and  other 
matters,  not  counting  the  boarders. 

So  that  in  two  years  and  a  half  we  had  increased 
our  little  hoard  of  seven  hundred  to  two  thousand 


338  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EYE 

seven  hundred  and  sixty-eight  dollars  by  dint  of 
hard  work,  economy,  and  good  fortune.  Neither 
of  us  had  experienced  a  day's  absolute  illness.  We 
had  won  our  share  of  the  world's  wealth,  and 
done  our  duty  by  the  bloated  or  plethoric  million- 
naires. 

I  insisted  upon  dividing  our  fortune.  I  wanted 
Eve  to  take  the  odd  hundreds,  and  let  me  keep  an 
even  thousand ;  but  she  would  not,  so  we  had 
thirteen  hundred  and  eighty-four  dollars  apiece. 
Mrs.  Harwood  came  up  to  the  house,  for  Eve 
declared  that  we  must  have  a  party.  The  Pryors, 
the  Wilburs,  and  our  own  six,  were  all  the  guests. 
Joe  had  just  bargained  away  his  express-business 
to  a  young  man  who  meant  to  keep  a  hack  for 
passengers,  besides  the  parcel  delivery,  which  was 
too  much  now  for  Joe  to  attend  to. 

The  lad's  prosperity  amazed  me  more  than  my 
own.  Most  people  would  call  it  sheer  good  luck. 
There  had  been  times  when  it  seemed  so  to  me ; 
then  I  remembered  Joe's  industry,  and  the  admirable 
quality  of  thinking  no  work  beneath  him.  He  had 
won  Mr.  Wilbur's  regard  by  the  cheerfulness  with 
which  he  had  done  all  kinds  of  chores  at  the  time  of 
the  building:  he  had  attracted  Pryor  by  his  per 
sistency,  shrewdness,  and  entire  honesty.  And  he 
had  won  my  love  and  that  of  Eve  by  the  good, 


IX  A  GARDEN"  339 

manful  fight  he  had  made  on  the  side  of  temperance, 
and  his  cheerful,  steady  affection.  Meanwhile,  how 
many  young  lads  had  gone  to  ruin  for  want  of  a 
friendly  hand  stretched  out  at  the  crisis  of  their  lives  ! 

I  think  we  were  all  the  merrier  this  evening, 
because  one  would  not  allow  the  other  to  be  sad. 
We  said  all  manner  of  laughable  things,  and  we  did 
laugh  over  them :  we  ate  our  peaches,  pears,  grapes, 
and  melons,  with  cake  sandwiched  between,  and 
some  most  delightful  coffee.  Mrs.  Wilbur  declared 
it  a  feast  of  nectar  and  ambrosia.  Then  we  ad 
journed  to  the  parlor,  and  had  some  music,  sang 
songs,  and  said  good-night. 

Was  it  that  for  the  first  time  in  my  life  I  had 
allowed  myself  to  dream  that  Celia  might  actually 
be  mine  ?  I  went  so  far,  she  came  so  near,  that  at 
one  point  our  lives  interpenetrated.  I  had  the 
divine  glimpse  of  what  was  possible,  I  had  a  vision 
of  what  would  be. 

Our  guests  went  away  after  midnight.  The  rest 
retired  to  their  rooms.  Eve  went  up  to  see  that 
Mrs.  Harwood  was  comfortable.  I  locked  and 
barred,  then  sank  down  into  an  arm-chair  in  a  most 
blissful  reverie. 

A  light  step  startled  me.  Eve  stood  there  with 
such  a  sweet,  mysterious  face.  Then  she  stooped 
and  kissed  me. 


340  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

"O  Adam!"  she  murmured,  under  a  long,  tremu 
lous  breath,  "  I  couldn't  wait.  I  wanted  to  know. 
I  have  had  it  in  my  heart  so  long.  I  have  loved  her 
like  a  sister.  Because  I  wanted  to  have  it  this  way, 
I  have  felt  almost  afraid ;  and  now  "  — 

"But  I  have  not  asked  her,"  I  gasped.  "I  could 
not.  I  have  always  thought  —  what  did  I  have  to 
offer  her  ?  But  to-night "  — 

"  O  you  dear,  delicious  old  goose ! "  Eve's  face 
was  hidden  against  mine,  and  its  flush  seemed  to 
thrill  through  me.  "  Well,  then,  find  out  for  your 
self!  This  was  why  I  thought  it  best  to  sell,  to 
make  a  change,  to  leave  you  more  free.  I  guessed 
when  she  was  away  last  winter.  Providence  has 
interfered  signally  in  your  behalf ;  and  if  you  haven't 
the  pluck  to  go  on,  and  '  ask  for  yourself,  John  ! ' 
why,  then  you  must  go  mourning  all  your  days." 

She  straightened  herself  suddenly,  and  kissed  me 
once  more,  turned,  but  I  caught  both  hands. 

"  Eve,"  I  cried,  "  are  you  never  going  to  have  any 
confidence  for  me?" 

"How  can  I,  —  if  no  one  comes  to  woo?"  she 
replied  laughingly  as  she  ran  away. 

I  sat  and  dreamed  a  long  while.  After  all,  we 
had  been  very  happy,  though  we  had  worked  no 
miracles;  and  they  are  not  possible  on  small  in 
comes,  in  spite  of  romantic  economists  and  imagi- 


IN  A  GARDEN  341 

native  statisticians.  We  had  furnished,  —  simply 
enough ;  we  had  clothed  ourselves ;  taken  a  daily 
paper,  a  weekly ;  and  our  'library  subscription  had 
given  us  magazines  as  well  as  books.  We  had  en 
joyed  an  occasional  theatre  and  concert,  taken  a  few 
short  journeys,  and  tried  to  keep  in  excellent  physi 
cal  and  mental  order ;  for  there  may  be  a  good  deal 
of  existence  that  is  no  true  living. 

We  awoke  the  next  morning  homeless.  What  a 
queer,  lonely  pang  it  gave  one  !  I  had  a  bit  of 
breakfast  with  Eve  ;  and,  remembering  a  paper  I 
needed,  I  went  out  to  our  pretty  reception-room 
where  we  had  enjoyed  so  much  delight.  A  light 
step  came  down  the  stair.  Eve  tripped  or  flew, 
and  had  as  many  paces  as  a  young  colt ;  but  Celia's 
movement  was  always  the  same,  —  elastic,  but  with 
a  curious  steadiness.  I  turned. 

Did  we  both  understand?  I  wonder  how  many 
hearts  have  been  plighted  without  a  word  !  I  took 
her  in  my  arms.  The  throbbing  of  her  pulses 
thrilled  me.  I  could  feel  the  flush  on  her  cheek, 
the  tremulousness  of  the  lips  that  met  mine,  and 
withheld  not  that  first  sacred  troth,  that  exquisite 
surrender.  It  was  martyrdom  to  tear  one's  self 
away,  and  yet  I  had  to  do  it. 

How  impatiently  I  waited  for  my  next  glimpse ! 
There  was  a  crowd  of  people  impatient  for  tickets, 


342  A  MODERN  ADAM   AND  EVE 

but  I  snatched  one  moment,  and  touched  her  hand 
before  the  train  whirled  her  away ;  and  it  seemed  as 
if  a  hundred  things  might  happen,  and  we  two 
never  meet  again !  I  resolved  to  follow  her  to  the 
city :  then  I  remembered  how  many  important  mat 
ters  were  waiting  for  my  supervision. 

Hildreth  and  I  had  formed  our  partnership.  The 
remaining  greenhouse  was  to  be  finished  at  his 
expense,  and  the  rent  was  to  be  paid  before  any 
real  division  of  profits.  My  own  stock  was  a  set-off 
to  that  he  had  taken  from  Mr.  Riker,  and  now  we 
were  to  put  in  our  labor  and  money  equally.  I  had 
stipulated  with  the  Bensons  for  the  removal  of 
certain  young  trees,  plants,  etc.,  and  was  to  devote 
all  my  spare  time  to  it.  We  had  promised  posses 
sion  the  first  of  October. 

Mrs.  Harwood  came  down  to  inspect  our  new 
arrangements.  I  think  she  was  wonderfully  inter 
ested  in  our  venture.  I  had  brought  over  geraniums 
and  various  other  plants.  We  had  two  strawberry- 
beds  set  out  from  runners  I  had  struck  in  pots,  and  I 
had  set  out  a  number  of  annual  roses  and  vines. 

"If  ever  you  should  cover  your  five  acres,  you 
will  have  a  fortune,"  she  said.  "Do  not  rush  on 
too  fast,  but  remember  that  you  need  never  stint 
yourself  of  any  thing  necessary  ;  and  I  am  very  glad 
that  Eve  can  take  a  holiday." 


IN  A   GARDEN  343 

It  was  not  so  merry  that  evening ;  but  I  know  of 
one,  who,  if  not  caught  up  to  the  third  heaven,  still 
heard  things  that  are  too  sacred  to  utter.  I  did  not 
suppose  we  kept  our  secret  from  Eve  or  Lawrence ; 
but  they  exhibited  a  wonderful  wisdom,  and  left  us 
quite  to  ourselves  while  they  went  over  to  settle 
some  matters  with  our  neighbors. 

Somewhere  in  the  talk  I  spoke  of  my  present 
limited  circumstances. 

"  The  new  order  of  greater  equality  between  men 
arid  women  has  settled  some  points,"  Celia  replied, 
with  a  lovely  and  convincing  smile.  "And  while 
any  true  wife  must  always  be  dependent  on  her 
husband  for  many  things,  if  she  has  a  genius  or  a 
business  that  she  can  carry  on  without  neglecting 
her  home  or  his  claims  upon  her,  I  do  not  see  any 
pertinent  reason  for  her  giving  it  up.  I  am  not  a 
genius,  perhaps,  in  the  larger  sense;  but  I  have  estab 
lished  a  place  for  myself  in  the  world,  and  have 
reached  a  point  where  I  can  make  some  money  with 
ease.  So  for  the  present  I  prefer  to  go  on ;  but  I 
want  you  to  feel,  my  dear  love,  that,  if  it  was  wisest 
and  best,  I  should  live  cheerfully  upon  your  in 
come." 

I  called  her  an  angel.  I  was  supremely,  idiotically 
happy. 

Joe  meanwhile  made  his  nest  ready,  arid  trans- 


344  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

ported  his  belongings  thither.  Mrs.  Montgomery 
made  some  additions.  Eve  sent  them  our  parlor- 
chairs  and  several  ornamental  articles  she  did  not 
wish  to  store.  The  others,  except  some  we  intended 
to  use,  were  boxed,  and  sent  down  to  the  station. 
Mrs.  Wilbur  declared  that  she  hated  to  go  away, 
and  that  we  might  count  on  her  as  a  frequent 
visitor.  Mrs.  Pryor  was  to  make  the  first  essay  in 
housekeeping.  Eve  and  Celia  had  planned  to  spend 
some  time  in  New  York. 

And  at  last  the  pretty  house  was  dismantled. 
Still,  we  had  no  opportunity  to  mope  over  its  dreari 
ness;  for  the  very  next  day  some  of  the  Bensons' 
belongings  came  up,  with  a  woman  to  clean  and  to 
settle  them.  Our  new  handmaiden,  a  tidy  colored 
woman  of  five  and  thirty,  a  relative  of  Mrs.  Banks, 
had  been  with  us  for  a  fortnight,  and  we  liked  her 
very  well.  We  decided  to  "even  up"  the  cost  of 
living,  as  there  were  three  couples  of  us,  and  our 
rent  comparatively  low.  Indeed,  at  first  Mrs.  Wilbur 
would  not  consent  to  any  remuneration ;  but  we 
placed  it  before  her  in  a  proper  light,  and  our 
eloquence  prevailed. 

Mr.  Wilbur  had  invested  twelve  hundred  dollars 
for  Eve  in  some  stock  that  paid  ten  per  cent.  I 
placed  mine  at  the  bank,  but  I  meant  to  make  one 
or  two  small  investments  as  I  saw  chances.  I  had 


IN   A   GARDEN  345 

another  bit  of  luck.  The  attention  of  the  company 
had  been  called  to  the  lack  of  proper  room  for 
freight  and  express,  and  the  superintendent  had 
come  up  to  inquire  into  the  matter.  I  described  the 
changes  that  had  taken  place  since  my  coming  to 
Athens,  and  gave  Joe  no  small  degree  of  credit  in 
the  part  he  had  worked  up  so  successfully.  It  was 
decided  to  tear  out  the  small  freight-house,  and  build 
a  much  larger  place,  putting  in  a  broad,  easy  stair 
case,  and  connecting  it  with  the  room  over  the  office. 
While  we  were  discussing  this  matter,  I  asked  for  an 
increase  of  salary,  and  represented  that  I  had  done 
something  toward  working  up  extra  business,  and 
that  the  duties  of  the  place  were  much  more  exten 
sive  than  when  I  had  first  taken  it,  and  that  no 
doubt  the  hotel,  as  well  as  the  natural  increase  of 
business,  would  add  to  the  number  of  passengers.  I 
also  gently  insinuated  that  I  would  not  be  at  loss  in 
obtaining  a  much  better  position. 

When  my  month's  pay  reached  me,  I  found  my 
talking  had  been  to  some  purpose/  Five  dollars  a 
month  was  not  very  much,  to  be  sure,  but  I  took 
it  with  thankfulness. 

By  the  last  of  October  we  made  quite  a  show  in 
our  greenhouses.  For  our  twenty-five  dollars  we 
had  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  roses,  some  of  them 
extremely  beautiful ;  and  we  had  made  a  very  good 


346  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

friend  of  the  Messrs.  S.  &  Co.  I  had  sixty  of  my 
own,  besides  a  number  of  hardy  plants  in  the  ground. 
One  of  our  cold-frames  I  had  filled  with  some  late 
chrysanthemums  that  I  found  were  going  to  blossom 
finely.  We  had  many  choice  geraniums,  one  very 
handsome  white,  that  looked  not  unlike  a  small  rose. 
Eve's  passion  had  been  bourvardias :  we  had  them  in 
all  colors,  and  the  dear  old-time  clove-pinks.  Indeed, 
we  had  a  very  handsome  show  of  carnations,  and 
some  splendid  young  heliotrope.  We  were  to  plant 
beds  of  mignonette  and  sweet  alyssum,  and  also  to 
do  what  we  could  in  spring-violets.  These  things 
we  thought  would  be  as  much  as  we  ought  to  ven 
ture  upon,  for  we  had  much  still  to  learn. 

We  went  in  and  took  possession  of  our  new  home. 
The  parlor  was  very  large  and  on  the  north  side. 
No  provision  had  been  made  for  heating  this,  but  on 
the  other  side  one  Baltimore  heater  had  been  set. 
There  was  a  sitting-room,  dining-room,  and  com 
modious  kitchen.  Up-stairs  on  the  south  side  were 
three  spacious  chambers,  two  on  the  north.  Three 
were  all  we  should  want  to  use  ordinarily.  We 
might  not  be  quite  so  cosey,  but  it  would  answer  very 
well ;  and  in  case  of  need  we  could  put  up  a  stove  or 
two.  At  present  we  could  keep  warm  enough  with 
a  very  moderate  fire. 

Walter  Benson  had  spoken  for  my  poultry.     I  had 


IN  A  GARDEN  347 

thirty-five  ordinary  hens,  mixed  considerably  with 
Brahma  and  a  Houdan  strain,  eighteen  elegant  Leg 
horns  with  a  really  superb  cock.  I  had  kept  these 
apart,  and  culled  out  every  thing  with  the  slightest 
off  feathering  or  mark.  Then  I  had  about  sixty 
pullets  and  cockerels,  though  we  had  been  using  up 
the  latter  sex.  He  took  the  hens  of  both  kinds,  and 
forty  of  the  finest  pullets,  and  paid  me  sixty-five 
dollars.  I  certainly  had  made  on  my  poultry, 
though  I  had  done  it  more  to  convince  myself  than 
for  actual  profit.  Eve  was  quite  jubilant,  but  we 
both  decided  that  we  did  love  the  flowers  rather 
more.  In  fact,  Eve  was  a  most  enthusiastic  green 
house  girl.  I  think  the  hotel  project  rather  trembled 
in  the  balance,  though  the  building  itself  was  mak 
ing  rapid  strides. 

I  insisted  upon  dividing  my  hen-fortune  with  Eve  ; 
and  about  this  time  she  gave  up  her  last  music- 
scholar,  although  the  fair  ladies  of  Athens  now 
formed  a  musical  union,  and  expected  to  give  several 
entertainments  through  the  winter.  They  had  a 
very  delightful  leader,  —  an  enthusiastic,  pleasant- 
tempered  German. 

My  twenty  remaining  chickens  I  devoted  to  the 
family  store.  I  was  deeply  interested  in  Walter's  suc 
cess,  and  promised  to  give  him  the  benefit  of  my  expe 
rience.  Besides  Mrs.  Benson,  there  was  Mrs.  Oilman 


348  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

and  her  two  children ;  and  they  did  seem  much 
pleased  with  their  new  home.  The  second  week  in 
October  was  cold,  rainy,  and  unpleasant,  but  after 
that  it  was  delightful  weather.  There  was  an  abun 
dance  of  grapes  for  them,  some  pears  and  a  few 
apples.  They  bought  a  horse,  and  enjoyed  the  lovely 
drives,  and  we  made  them  acquainted  with  several 
of  the  most  agreeable  of  their  neighbors. 

I  must  not  omit  to  state  that  our  new  business  had 
already  begun.  Soon  after  Mrs.  Harwood's  return 
to  the  city,  she  had  sent  me  an  order  for  every  chrys 
anthemum  that  I  could  cut.  A  young  friend  of  hers 
desired  to  be  surrounded  by  her  favorite  flower 
at  her  wedding.  I  had  white,  yellow,  and  four 
shades  of  pink,  one  very  deep  red,  a  beautiful  feath 
ery  flower,  very  large  and  very  delicate-looking. 
From  an  old  root  on  the  place  I  had  raised  eight 
elegant  plants.  I  sent  them  without  knowing  their 
value,  leaving  it  to  her  to  arrange,  and  received  in 
return  a  check  for  seven  dollars,  with  word  that 
some  of  mine  were  the  finest  in  the  display.  I  think 
we  both  felt  wonderfully  elated.  We  had  hardly 
thought  to  sell  them,  or  indeed  any  thing,  so  soon. 
And  a  few  days  later  we  had  an  order  from  Mrs. 
Palmer  for  our  choice  roses  and  all  the  bourvardia 
we  had. 

I  was  so  near  that  I  could  spend  a  good  deal  of  my 


IN  A  GARDEN  349 

time  at  this  new  and  fascinating  employment ;  and, 
as  soon  as  she  had  a  little  leisure,  Eve  must  needs 
stray  down,  at  which  Mrs.  Pryor  complained  loudly, 
until  I  suggested  they  might  both  come  and  live  in  a 
garden.  Jane,  our  handmaiden,  seemed  left  much  to 
her  own  devices ;  but  she  was  a  good  cook,  and,  the 
girls  said,  not  extravagant. 

Lawrence  Hildreth  certainly  throve  upon  his  new 
occupation.  His  angular  frame  began  to  fill  out,  and 
a  healthy  color  came  in  the  place  of  the  pallor  that  I 
had  concluded  must  be  natural.  He  worked  in  a 
sensible  fashion,  leaving  off  as  soon  as  he  felt 
fatigued. 

"  I  have  too  much  at  stake  to  overdo  now,"  he 
would  say  with  a  smile.  "  My  lessons  have  been  suf 
ficiently  costly  to  make  me  heed  them." 

But  we  walked  round  about  our  plantation  with 
high  hearts.  I  had  an  enthusiasm  here,  that  I  had 
not  experienced  about  our  home :  indeed,  there  had 
always  been  some  presentiment  of  loss,  some  vague 
fear,  that  I  could  laugh  at  now.  And  I  was  very 
happy.  I  should  have  been  an  ingrate  had  it  proved 
otherwise. 

"  But  we  shall  never  have  this  great  place  full,"  I 
said  one  day  to  Larry.  "  Every  week  it  seems  to  grow 
larger  to  my  eyes." 

"  I  don't  know  as  we  shall  turn  it  all  into  a  gar- 


350  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

den,"  he  replied.  "  On  the  avenue  next  to  Mr.  Teall's 
we  may  some  day  build  a  house,  or  houses,  unless  we 
get  so  used  to  living  together  that  we  shall  never 
want  to  live  alone ; "  and  he  gave  a  humorous  smile. 
There  was  a  row  of  fine  old  maples  along  Ruther 
ford  Avenue ;  and  we  set  out  some  trees  on  Linden 
Street,  not  enough  to  shade  us  in  time  to  come.  Mr. 
Riker  had  built  his  first  greenhouse  a  little  distance 
from  the  corner.  We  had  a  plan  of  some  day  adding 
to  this  by  a  pretty  two-story  structure,  mostly  of 
glass.  We  had  seen  one  in  Northwood  that  had 
captured  our  fancy.  The  greenhouse  was  eighty- 
seven  feet  long  on  Linden  Street.  The  stone  foun 
dation  was  about  two  feet  high,  then  glass  for  about 
thirty  inches.  The  building  was  twenty  feet  wide : 
the  peak  of  the  roof  was  about  eight  feet,  the  path 
down  the  centre  being  sunk  eighteen  inches.  On 
each  side  of  the  edge  of  the  roof  was  fastened  a 
leader  that  caught  the  rain  from  the  roof,  and  at  the 
end  they  both  ran  into  a  cistern.  Here  were  situated 
the  boiler-house  and  a  coal-bin,  a  force-pump,  and  a 
closet  for  various  useful  articles ;  and  from  here  ran 
the  iron  pipes  used  for  heating  in  winter.  .  Nearest 
the  outside  edge  along  both  sides  was  a  wide  border 
for  plants,  while  underneath  various  ferns  and  plants 
needing  shade  could  be  stowed.  On  iron  braces  was 
another  wide  row  of  shelving  just  high  enough  to 


IN   A   GARDEN  351 

clear  one's  head.  In  this  we  had  placed  our  roses. 
The  methods  of  ventilation  were  excellent,  and  on 
the  Linden-street  side  the  sashes  were  protected  from 
an  accidental  stone  by  coarse  wire  netting  that  did 
not  interfere  with  the  light. 

The  other  was  far  enough  back  of  this  to  escape 
being  shaded ;  the  side  toward  the  north  being 
boarded,  and  the  glass  roof  being  pitched  all  one 
way,  with  shelves  rising  step-like  for  plants.  This 
house  was  seventy-five  feet  long,  and  twenty  feet 
wide,  the  heat  and  water  arranged  the  same  as  in  the 
other.  We  put  our  promiscuous  plants  in  here,  and 
the  borders  we  prepared  for  our  violets  and  seedlings. 
I  had  been  gathering  fine  compost,  and  had  brought 
from  the  woods  several  loads  of  rich  soil,  and  piled 
up  some  good  loam.  We  had  altered  this  border, 
shoring  it  up  with  timber  by  the  path.  It  was  about 
forty  inches  wide.  We  made  a  foundation  of  rubble, 
sand,  and  earth,  then  mixed  our  soils  for  the  top 
layer.  We  had  now  the  whole  thirty-five  feet  like  a 
large  garden-bed.  We  had  ordered  one  thousand 
violets ;  and  the  day  they  came,  Eve  insisted  upon 
helping  us  to  plant  them  out.  By  this  device  we 
were  spared  any  trouble  of  potting ;  though  we  left  a 
space  between,  and  kept  each  kind  by  itself.  In  this 
border  we  also  set  out  fifty  heliotrope  plants,  sowed 
our  mignonette,  alyssum,  and  at  the  end  Eve  began 


352  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

a  bed  of  nasturtiums,  one  of  her  favorites.  We  had 
a  number  of  boxes  in  which  we  placed  three  or  four 
plants  of  heliotrope,  and  the  rest  of  our  hundred  we 
kept  potted. 

Every  spare  moment  through  October  we  worked 
like  beavers,  doing  some  things  in  the  evening.  At 
the  end  of  the  month  we  were  in  tolerable  order, 
and  had  bought  most  of  our  plants  for  the  present. 
Twice  we  had  gone  to  auction  where  private  green 
houses  were  selling  out.  Our  bills  stood  thus :  — 

135  roses $25 

15  roses    7 

2  camellias 9 

100  heliotrope 14 

1,000  violets 95 

30  azaleas 25 

100  bourvardia 20 

5  daphne 5 

20  fuchsias 5 

50  heaths 20 

A  job  lot     . 7 

$232 
Fertilizers  15 


Flower-pots 24 

$271 

We  had  both  greenhouses  well  stocked  with  these 
and  the  plants  we  had.  We  planted  seeds  of  several 
other  things,  —  choice  petunias,  snow-queen  candy- 


IN  A   GARDEN  353 

tuft,  and  pansies,  the  last  two  in  a  cold-frame.  Our 
two  houses  had  looked  large,  but  we  began  to  under 
stand  that  more  would  be  needed  another  year, 
though  we  did  not  mean  to  have  them  so  expensive. 
We  saw  now  that  Riker's  ideas  had  not  been  quite 
so  wild.  Cold-frames  I  could  manage  tolerably  well 
myself.  I  had  become  almost  a  mason  as  well  as  a 
carpenter. 

The  last  week  in  October,  Eve  went  to  the  city. 
Celia  was  to  make  her  aunt  a  brief  visit.  I  went 
down  twice,  and  took  them  to  see  a  play  that  was 
fascinating  everybody,  and  to  hear  the  "divine 
Patti."  That  we  were  enchanted,  I  hardly  need 
state. 

But,  oh,  how  dreary  the  meals  proved !  We  were 
not  at  home  the  alternate  evenings,  being  so  much 
engrossed ;  and  Mrs.  Pryor  complained  loudly. 

"Really,"  said  Lawrence  in  a  dry  tone,  "every 
body  seems  to  have  a  claim  upon  Eve.  What  will 

there  be  left  for  a  husband  ?  " 

• 

"  Take  warning,"  I  replied. 

"But,  you  see,  even  a  piece  of  cake  might  be 
better  than  none,  on  the  half-loaf  principle." 

Lawrence  had  given  me  a  most  cordial  and 
brotherly  welcome  when  he  knew  of  the  bond 
between  myself  and  Celia. 

"  Though  I  half  suspected  it  when  we  were  at  the 


354  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

West,"  he  confessed.  "She  was  always  rehearsing 
the  superior  points  of  Athens,  and  thought  it  quite 
good  enough  to  live  in  or  die  in." 

But  now  that  they  had  Eve  in  New  York,  they 
were  not  going  to  let  her  slip  so  easily.  Mrs.  Palmer 
and  Mrs.  Wilbur  made  so  many  engagements  for  her, 
that  Mrs.  Harwood  could  sympathize  with  Helen. 
There  were  theatre-parties,  receptions,  teas,  and 
dances.  She  came  home  now  and  then  quite  as  a 
visitor.  Celia  returned  after  a  fortnight,  so  that  I 
had  her.  Larry  could  take  his  turn  going  to  the 
city,  which  he  did  quite  often. 

We  had  some  cards  and  circulars  printed,  and  we 
advertised  in  a  paper  at  Northwood ;  for  we  were 
quite  in  earnest  about  making  ourselves  known. 
Orders  from  New  York  came  to  us,  —  through  our 
good  friends,  I  suppose.  Now  that  outdoor  flowers 
were  gone,  and  hot-house  blossoms  rather  scarce,  new 
people  might  stand  a  chance.  I  found  two  places  in 
the  city  where  I  could  be  sure  of  disposing  of  cut- 
flowers. 

I  had  not  expected  a  profit  so  soon,  but  by  the 
last  of  November  we  had  taken  in  thirty-five  dollars. 
But  now  we  were  expending  our  ingenuity  in  heating 
and  ventilation,  which  had  to  be  narrowly  watched. 
Our  heater  for  the  rose-house  was  too  large,  and 
we  did  have  trouble  in  tempering  it  at  first. 


IN  A  GARDEN  355 

We  found,  too,  that  we  had  not  planned  judiciously. 
The  heliotrope  required  more  heat  than  the  violets. 
We  had  "  cut-offs  "  in  the  pipes,  and  thermometers  at 
different  places.  On  cloudy  days  we  needed  greater 
heat.  The  night  temperature  bothered  us  the  most. 
Indeed,  I  slung  a  hammock,  and  spent  two  nights 
studying  the  alternations.  There  would  be  less 
trouble  when  the  weather  became  colder :  we  really 
had  to  guard  now  against  too  high  a  range.  The 
watering  was  more  easily  managed.  An  experienced 
florist  told  us  not  to  water  until  a  plant  required 
it,  — -  was,  indeed,  dry  on  the  surface,  and  then  fill 
the  pots  to  the  brim.  Twice  a  week,  plants  were  to 
be  showered.  Heliotrope  and  roses  required  extra 
fertilizing.  We  kept  guano-water  in  a  cask,  and 
applied  it  to  some  of  the  plants  twice  a  week,  to  the 
others  but  once. 

Among  the  things  I  characterized  as  a  job  lot 
were  numerous  bulbs,  —  hyacinth,  amaryllis,  and  lilies 
of  various  kinds.  We  resolved  to  bring  our  hyacinths 
into  the  market  early,  and.  covered  them  up  in  the 
mould  a  short  distance  from  the  pipes,  potting  them 
as  soon  as  they  budded. 


356  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 


CHAPTER   XX 

NABOBS   IN   A   SMALL   WAY 

WE  all  kept  the  feast  of  Thanksgiving  with  Mrs. 
Wilbur.  I  petitioned  for  the  "  extra  man  ; "  and  as 
I  was  in  good  repute  with  the  company,  he  was  sent 
without  demur,  though  he  did  not  come  until  noon. 
Lawrence  and  the  Pryors  had  gone  down  in  the 
morning.  Jane  must  have  thought  her  numerous 
mistresses  sad  gad-abouts ;  but  she  was  given  a  day 
out  as  well.  Joe  promised  to  see  that  all  went  well 
with  the  greenhouses,  which  were  like  a  first  baby, 

—  we  hardly  dared  take  our  eyes  off  of  them.     But 
he  was  quite  as  much  infatuated  as  we  :  indeed,  I 
think  only  the  aim  of  being  a  partner  in  a  good  busi 
ness  kept  him  from  taking  service  with  us. 

The  hotel  was  enclosed,  and  looked  quite  preten 
tious  ;  though  the  prettiest  part  of  the  roof — a  tower 

—  was  to  be  in  the  wing.     Still,  there  were  some  or 
namental  peaks  and  windows.     A  wide   piazza  was 
to  run  across  the  front,  and  two  bow-windows  were 
to  be  set  on  the  roof  of  this,  with  balconies  for  the 


IN   A   GARDEN  357 

windows  above.  We  had  decided  that  it  must  hold 
all  of  us  the  next  year;  for  Lawrence  and  I  could  not 
be  so  far  away,  and  Pryor  was  resolved  to  have  Eve. 

The  day  was  splendid ;  rather  crisp  and  cold,  but 
with  a  magnificent  sun.  I  took  with  me  a  box  of 
beautiful  roses,  and  had  sent  some  to  Ruth  and  Joe, 
who  were  to  have  the  Montgomery  household  to 
dine. 

How  proud  and  exultant  I  felt  as  I  stepped  on  the 
train  !  I  believe  I  did  not  even  envy  our  president, 
who  considered  himself  one  of  the  coming  great 
railroad-men.  I  found  them  all  assembled,  waiting 
to  welcome  me.  Mrs.  Harwood  was  there,  looking 
prettier  than  ever,  and  keeping  Eve  under  her  wing, 
like  a  hen  with  one  chick  ;  Mrs.  Brooke ;  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Palmer ;  Miss  Laverne,  the  Southern  cousin ; 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Farnsworth,  n£e  Bertha  Brooke;  and 
our  own  six. 

I  am  afraid  we  talked  "shop."  It  was  green 
house  and  hotel,  and  yet  we  found  time  for  no  end 
of  chaffing.  They  admired  the  roses  enthusiastically: 
there  were  three  of  a  new  kind,  that  had  made  their 
first  essay  at  blooming.  We  had  some  music,  and 
I  found  we  were  all  to  go  to  the  opera.  Dinner  was 
at  four.  It  was  a  dinner  of  the  season,  of  course, 
and  we  enjoyed  it  heartily.  I  took  out  Mrs. 
Harwood.  Two  friends  of  Mr.  Wilbur's  came  in,  a 


358  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

Mr.  Woolfe,  and  Mr.  Bernard,  who,  by  the  way,  was 
well  acquainted  with  Celia.  She  looked  so  bright 
and  winsome,  that  more  than  once  I  almost  won 
dered  how  she  had  come  to  accept  me,  after  all. 

The  evening  was  most  delightful.  We  had  a 
dainty  supper  afterward,  then  Lawrence  and  I 
wended  our  way  homeward.  Luckily  for  us,  there 
was  a  midnight  train.  We  cast  a  lingering  look  at 
the  gleaming  roofs  that  protected  our  heart's  treas 
ures,  then  trudged  on  up  the  hill. 

"I  declare,"  said  Hildreth,  "I  feel  as  if  I  had 
taken  a  new  lease  of  life,  and  might  live  to  be  a 
hundred.  I  grow  stronger  every  day.  Think  of  me 
last  year  at  this  time." 

Somehow  after  that  every  thing  went  on  with  a 
rush.  The  freight-house  was  finished,  and  business 
seemed  on  the  increase.  Joe  was  here  and  there, 
his  bright,  manly  face  clear  and  smiling.  Pryor 
almost  flew  about,  as  there  was  a  prospect  of  con 
siderable  building.  The  "  scratch-coat "  was  put  on 
the  hotel :  the  Musical  Union  gave  a  concert,  which 
was  splendidly  attended  at  fifty  cents  a  ticket,  and 
passed  off  finely,  leading  to  a  talk  of  building  a  real 
hall,  as  the  only  one  Athens  could  boast  of  was  a 
rather  poor  affair  over  some  stores.  Then  there 
were  Christmas  preparations.  Celia  was  very  busy; 
and  I  thought  it  too  hard  for  her  to  come  home 


IN  A  GARDEN  359 

every  night,  since  Eve  was  away  so  much.  She, 
radiant  girl,  was  as  gay  as  a  butterfly,  like  the  Eve 
I  had  known  at  aunt  Carry's. 

As  for  us,  we  made  some  mistakes,  but,  in  the 
main,  were  successful.  Our  violets  began  to  bloom, 
and  the  mignonette  showed  buds.  Of  course,  there 
was  a  demand  for  every  thing  at  Christmas-tide.  I 
had  brought  down  a  tub  of  callas  in  the  fall,  intend 
ing  to  pot  them,  but  had  been  too  busy,  until  I 
found,  with  the  warmth  and  watering,  they  were  in 
bud.  I  had  five  out  by  Christmas.  We  had  some 
calls  from  the  little  towns  around,  two  large  orders 
from  New  York,  and  numerous  private  orders.  On 
making  up  our  books  the  1st  of  January,  I  found 
we  had  sold  to  the  amount  of  sixty-five  dollars,  and 
could  have  done  better  if  we  had  had  the  flowers 
desired.  But  we  counted  on  quite  a  harvest  during 
the  month  to  come. 

Our  Christmas  was  not  spent  together,  and  I 
seemed  to  be  the  one  counted  out  of  most  things. 
Eve  went  to  Baltimore  with  Mrs.  Harwood  for  a 
fortnight.  Evidently  she  meant  to  hold  my  sister 
with  a  close  hand ;  but  she  was  so  sweet  and  gener 
ous,  no  one  could  say  her  nay.  The  Hildreths  had 
been  hunted  up  by  some  Philadelphia  cousins  in  a 
very  cordial  manner,  and  invited  for  holiday  week. 
Christmas  fell  on  Sunday.  On  Friday,  Eve  started. 


360  A   MODERN   ADAM   AND  EYE 

At  the  last  moment  she  had  half  a  mind  to 
decline. 

"  If  Celia  wasn't  going !  And  you  to  be  left 
alone  !  "  she  exclaimed  pathetically. 

"  Some  one  must  stay  with  the  greenhouse,  and 
the  station  refuses  to  carry  on  its  business  without 
a  clerk.  Besides,  I  am  to  take  Christmas  dinner 
with  Joe." 

Eve  kissed  me  with  a  fond,  lingering  good-by. 
Then,  on  Saturday,  Lawrence  and  Celia  went.  I  think 
she,  dear  girl,  would  easily  have  declined  the  invita 
tion  ;  but  Lawrence  was  very  urgent,  thinking  to 

visit  the  Messrs.  S again,  and  see  their  beautiful 

greenhouses  in  winter.  The  Pryors  were  to  be  in 
New  York :  indeed,  we  decided  to  shut  up  the  house, 
and  give  Jane  a  holiday. 

Sunday  morning  I  went  to  church  with  Joe.  I 
did  miss  Eve's  voice  in  the  singing.  I  must  say 
I  had  never  liked  Mr.  Bradford  better.  I  certainly 
was  coming  to  pay  him  a  much  higher  regard,  and 
he  had  quite  won  Joe's  heart. 

The  week  passed  without  any  special  incident. 
Letters  came  from  all  the  travellers,  who  were  en 
joying  themselves  immensely :  indeed,  the  Hildreths 
were  to  be  kept  captive  until  the  second  day  of  the 
New  Year. 

The  first  of  January  was  simply  magnificent.     It 


IN  A   GARDEN  361 

seemed  like  an  April  day.  In  the  brightness  of  the 
morning  sunshine  was  born  Joe  Crawford's  baby,  — 
a  boy,  —  and  both  parents  were  wild  with  delight. 
I  had  brought  up  some  lovely  flowers  for  Ruth. 

"And  he  is  to  be  named  for  you,  my  best,  my 
dearest  friend,"  declared  Joe,  wringing  my  hand; 
"  and  if  he  will  only  be  as  good  and  noble  and  gen 
erous  " — 

"  O  Joe,  hush  !  "  I  cried  earnestly :  "  you  must 
begin  to  see  that  you  have  used  some  strength  of 
your  own ;  that  others  have  befriended  you  to  more 
purpose  than  my  few  efforts  "  — 

"  But  you  were  the  first.  You  made  it  possible 
for  me  to  accept  the  rest,  for  it  to  be  offered  to  me. 
No,  in  my  heart  you  will  always  be  first,  best ;  and 
though  my  boy  will  never  understand  it,  he,  too,  will 
owe  you  a  debt  of  gratitude." 

"  Not  if  he  is  saddled  with  such  a  queer  old-time 
name.  It  was  my  father's  fancy  to  call  us  after  the 
first  two,  and  Eve  does  very  well ;  but  Adam !  "  and 
I  laughed  with  a  little  contempt.  "  Anyhow,  wait 
until  Eve  returns  home.  She  ought  to  have  a  voice 
in  the  name." 

Mrs.  Pryor  came  down,  and  insisted  upon  taking 
the  first  hug  out  of  the  baby.  Indeed,  Joe's  baby 
created  quite  a  sensation,  in  spite  of  there  being  so 
many  babies  in  the  world. 


362  A  MODERN  ADAM   AND  EVE 

Celia  and  her  brother  returned  delighted  with  their 
visit.  These  Philadelphia  people  were  Hildreth 
relatives,  and  for  a  number  of  years  had  dropped 
out  of  sight,  more  by  accident  than  design.  They 
were  loth  to  let  Celia  return,  and  wished  both  were 
to  be  settled  in  the  Quaker  City.  Lawrence  had 
enjoyed  himself  wonderfully,  and  came  home  full  of 
plans  and  projects,  and,  if  it  had  not  been  winter, 
would  at  once  have  plunged  into  building  green 
houses. 

"  But  we  do  look  splendid,"  he  commented  enthu 
siastically.  "  I  can't  help  thinking  that  I  have  struck 
just  the  right  thing.  Why,  it  fairly  bewitches  me ; 
and  I've  caught  up  to  you  in  love  if  I  have  not  in 
knowledge.  I've  studied  every  spare  moment,  and 
asked  enough  questions  to  vex  any  one  who  was  not  a 

born  florist.  I  told  the  Messrs.  S about  you  too, 

and  promised  to  send  you  next  time.  Ad,  you  must 
take  a  vacation.  It  is  selfish  for  me  to  have  all  the 
good  times." 

I  laughed  at  that.  I  was  glad  enough  to  see  him 
looking  so  well  and  in  such  bright  spirits. 

We  went  back  to  our  usual  living.  Celia  staid 
home  the  remainder  of  the  week.  On  Thursday  it 
blew  off  very  cold,  and  Friday  morning  it  began  to 
snow.  All  day  the  storm  increased.  Trains  were 
delayed,  roads  blocked,  and  though  about  nightfall 


IN  A   GARDEN  363 

the  snow  ceased,  it  seemed  more  bitterly  cold  than 
before. 

"  I  shall  stay  down  all  night,"  I  said  to  Larry. 

He  insisted  that  he  should,  also,  but  I  overruled 
him.  I  was  a  little  afraid  of  some  cold  or  trouble ; 
and  finally  he  gave  in,  for  his  greatest  desire  now 
was  to  be  strong  and  well.  About  nine  I  took  a 
blanket  and  hammock,  and  after  looking  at  the  fires 
and  the  dampers,  and  seeing  the  temperatures  were 
right,  I  rolled  myself  in  the  blanket,  and  settled  for  a 
nap  among  my  fragrant  roses.  It  was  a  rather  warm 
and  sweet  atmosphere,  but  I  could  sleep  anywhere. 
I  left  my  lamp  burning.  How  the  wind  did  roar  and 
tear  about  in  great  gusts  !  I  felt  almost  as  if  the 
houses  might  be  moved  off  their  foundation. 

But  presently  I  slept  soundly,  —  three  solid  hours. 
It  was  two  when  I  looked  at  rny  watch.  I  roused 
myself  from  my  rather  cramped  position,  sprang 
out,  and  glanced  at  the  thermometer.  It  was.  fifty 
degrees,  —  hardly  up  to  the  mark  for  roses  and  helio 
trope.  I  had  brought  all  my  largest  plants  in  here, 
and  they  were  showing  bud.  So  I  stirred  up  my 
fire.  I  wondered  with  a  little  shiver  how  the  other 
house  was  doing,  and  dreaded  to  plough  through  the 
snow.  However,  there  was  a  good  deal  at  stake,  and 
it  was  eternal  vigilance  here  as  well  as  elsewhere. 
So,  wrapped  in  my  blanket,  lantern  in  hand,  I  sallied 


364  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

out,  going  up  to  my  knees  in  snow.  We  had 
resolved,  before  another  winter,  to  connect  the 
houses.  The  biting  wind  shaved  my  face.  I  un 
locked  the  door  and  entered. 

I  had  not  come  a  moment  too  soon.  The  highest 
temperature  was  forty-six  degrees,  the  lowest  forty 
degrees.  I  put  on  the  draughts  immediately.  If- 1 
had  waited  until  morning,  my  plants  would  have 
been  ruined.  For  the  next  hour  I  watched  and 
tramped  around  until  it  came  up  to  fifty-two  degrees. 
I  knew  it  would  rise  a  little  higher,  and  that  outside 
it  could  not  well  be  colder ;  so  I  returned,  and,  find 
ing  matters  right  here,  again  settled  myself  to  my 
hammock.  Hard  work,  do  you  say?  Well,  as  a 
lad  in  a  Western  station,  I  used  to  go  out  at  one 
o'clock,  and  switch  off  one  cattle-train  that  a  freight 
and  express  might  pass,  there  being  but  one  track. 
If  I  had  overslept,  or  been  taken  suddenly  ill,  a 
smash-up  would  have  been  the  result.  I  have  some 
times  run  up  and  down  the  track  fifteen  minutes  on 
the  coldest  of  nights,  lest  drowsiness  should  over 
come  me.  Ah !  this  was  heaven  itself  compared  to 
that  dreariness. 

I  slept  until  morning  in  my  Eden.  All  things 
were  right,  when  a  far-off  whistle  roused  me.  I  ran 
up  to  the  station.  The  few  who  took  this  train  had 
commutation  tickets;  but  I  always  preferred  being 


IN  A  GARDEN  365 

on  hand,  though  it  was  now  behind  time.  Then 
I  began  to  shovel  snow :  I  do  not  think  there  had 
ever  been  such  a  storm  at  Athens.  The  roads  were 
impassable  until  the  snow-plough  came  out.  The 
trains  wheezed  and  groaned  along ;  but,  oh,  how 
lovely  the  world  looked  !  The  gray  sky  turned  to 
blue  :  there  were  bars  of  faint  yellow  in  the  east,  and 
presently  a  pale  sun  struggled  through.  We  had 
been  to  zero  in  the  night,  and  now  were  slowly 
crawling  up,  but  the  wind  had  ceased  blowing. 

Lawrence  came  down  with  my  breakfast  and  some 
coffee,  which  we  heated  anew  on  the  stove,  and 
I  toasted  my  piece  of  steak.  We  impressed  one  of 
the  indolent  Athenians  into  shovelling  snow,  —  had 
our  station-platform  cleared,  and  some  paths  made 
about  our  greenhouses.  Every  thing  was  all  right. 
Larry  insisted  upon  being  very  grateful,  but  I  would 
have  it  that  the  business  risk  was  fully  as  much 
mine  as  his. 

"And  when  we  come  to  real  living,  it  must  be 
nearer  by,"  said  he.  "  I  feel  rather  sorry  that  we  are 
up  there  on  the  hill,  but  for  Pryor's  sake  I  wouldn't 
make  any  change.  He  is  such  a  capital  good  fellow. 
But,  Ad,  I  am  thankful  you  did  sell  your  house  to  so 
good  an  advantage." 

Certainly,  it  was  a  piece  of  rare  good  fortune. 

Pryor  grumbled  a  little   as  well.     He  had  never 


366  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

lived  so  far  away.  He  brought  Mrs.  Pryor  and 
Celia  down  in  his  sleigh.  They  could  not  spend  a 
long,  dreary  day  alone  in  the  house. 

"  If  Eve  does  not  come  home,  we  will  have  to  move 
down  in  town.  What  did  possess  us  to  take  a  house 
so  far  from  the  station  ! " 

I  laughed  at  this.  "  Why,  it  has  never  seemed 
any  great  distance  to  you  all,"  I  said. 

"Well,  we  are  lonesome  without  Eve, — that  is 
the  truth ;  and  we  have  come  to  spend  the  day  in  the 
greenhouses,"  was  the  reply. 

Down  we  went.  We  had  the  hammock  and  some 
stools.  We  envied  no  one  Florida  or  Bermuda. 
The  girls  strolled  around  in  the  warm,  fragrant 
atmosphere,  did  a  little  work,  then  rested,  reading 
novels.  It  was  a  kind  of  fairy-land.  They  had 
brought  some  lunch,  and  Pryor  came  up  from  Joe's 
with  some  steaming  coffee  and  cups.  We  had  a 
regular  picnic. 

"  What  a  silly  thing  to  leave  this  space  between 
the  houses !  "  said  Lawrence ;  "  and  how  delightful 
it  will  be  to  glass  it  all  over,  and  wander  about  at 
one's  will ! " 

Celia  considered  this  quite  a  brilliant  scheme. 
They  were  about  twenty  feet  apart  now.  We  could 
put  two  rows  in  between,  with  a-  width  of  ten  feet 
apiece,  which  would  give  us  a  fine  lot  of  room. 


IN  A   GARDEN  367 

We  wandered  about :  we  made  love,  —  let  me  be 
honest ;  how  could  one  help  it  amid  roses  and  violets, 
and  all  sweet  things  ?  The  sun  sparkled  over  the 
snow  outside,  but  the  keen  air  nipped  your  cheeks 
the  instant  you  stirred  out.  Well,  we  were  in 
Arcadie. 

The  roads  were  quite  broken  and  cleared  up  that 
day,  and  the  weather  some  ten  degrees  warmer.  I 
ventured  to  go  home  and  go  to  bed,  like  a  reasonable 
human  being ;  and  the  next  day  the  world  was  jolly 
with  sleigh-riding.  Lawrence  went  to  New  York 
with  boxes  of  flowers,  and  brought  home  orders  for 
the  first  heliotrope  we  could  rush  into  market.  It 
seemed  to  me  that  people  were  crazy  about  flowers. 
How  could  they  be  willing  to  spend  so  much  money 
for  such  fragile,  perishable  things?  Had  I  really 
touched  the  secret  spring  of  a  successful  business  ? 

There  followed  upon  this  three  weeks  of  the 
most  magnificent  winter  weather  that  could  be  ima 
gined.  The  roads  were  kept  white  by  a  few  lighter 
snowfalls.  The  sun  shone  nearly  every  day,  and 
there  were  no  violent  alterations  in  the  temperature : 
it  was  just  steady  cold.  Two  nights  I  spent  in  the 
greenhouse,  but  I  need  not  have  done  so.  It  is  the 
sudden  changes  that  are  so  difficult  to  provide  for. 
Celia  took  a  holiday  most  of  the  time.  We  went 
sleigh-riding,  and  Lawrence  was  transformed  into 


368  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

ticket-agent.  He  was  quite  a  fair  operator,  as  well ; 
and  no  brother  could  have  been  kinder. 

Eve  went  to  Washington,  —  the  gay  little  witch, 
—  and  had  the  best  of  times ;  stumbled  over  aunt 
Carry,  who  was  visiting  her  daughter.  Uncle  Len- 
nard  was  quite  successful  in  some  land  speculations 
in  Colorado ;  and  aunt  Carry  was  in  the  best  of 
spirits,  but  much  amazed  that  a  pretty  girl  like  Eve 
should  be  single  still,  and  bewailed  the  misfortune 
of  her  being  buried  alive  in  a  little  country  village. 
This  time  her  sympathy  included  me ;  for  some 
months  after,  uncle  Lennard  wrote  to  offer  me  a 
promising  business  opening,  and  thought  it  a  sin 
that  a  capable  young  man  should  be  wasting  his 
time  in  a  wretched  little  railroad  station. 

Ah,  uncle  Lennard !  I  would  not  have  changed 
my  Eden  for  all  the  money  you  were  making ! 

During  January  we  sold  one  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars'  worth  of  flowers.  That  looked  enormous  to 
me.  I  went  over  the  account  several  times  to  see  if 
it  was  true.  '  But  we  had  such  splendid  luck  with 
heliotrope  and  bourvafdia,  and  there  was  always  a 
demand  for  roses.  I  felt  now  that  we  might  reason 
ably  expect  to  succeed. 

Now  there  came  a  thaw  with  a  "  muggy  "  week. 
This  was  worse  than  the  cold.  How  to  get  the 
right  proportion  of  ventilation  and  not  chill,  the 


IN  A  GARDEN  369 

right  amount  of  watering,  and  how  to  provide  for  a 
sun  that  obstinately  refused  to  shine,  were  important 
questions.  But  we  came  through  it  pretty  well  for 
new  beginners.  Some  of  our  largest  heliotropes 
blighted,  and  we  cut  them  back.  Some  of  our  roses 
hung  listlessly ;  but  we  had  hosts  of  carnations,  and 
no  end  of  violets. 

We  planted  now  a  hundred  three-inch  pots  with 
cucumber-seeds,  three  to  a  pot.  Where  we  could 
make  room  for  them,  we  hardly  knew ;  but  some  of 
the  violets  and  other  things  would  be  done  before 
long,  and  for  a  month,  at  least,  we  need  not  worry. 
Eve  came  home  radiant.  Joe  and  Ruth  and  the 
baby  claimed  her  for  a  whole  week :  indeed,  she  was 
in  danger  of  being  divided  around  piecemeal. 
Where  Lawrence  was  to  come  in,  rather  puzzled  me. 
But  distance  all  the  rest,  he  surely  did. 

"I  suppose  you  think  it  queer  enough  that  I 
have  not  hunted  up  some  one  with  a  fortune,"  she 
said  to  me  in  a  curiously  defiant  manner,  as  if  that 
had  been  my  plan  for  her.  "  Aunt  Carry  will  con 
sider  that  I  have  gone  out  of  my  senses,  for  she  did 
pick  out  a  rich  old  fellow  in  Washington  who  has 
worn  himself  almost  to  a  shadow  amassing  a  for 
tune.  And  there  hav,e  been  others.  But  I  like 
him" — blushing  warmly,  —  "for  his  manliness,  his 
truth,  and  his  sense  of  honor  about  little  matters 


370  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

« 

that  so  many  people  pass  over ; "  and  her  eyes  are 
lustrous  as  she  utters  this.  "I  could  trust  him  to 
the  uttermost,  I  could  trust  him  anywhere,  under 
any  stress ;  and  the  world  is  full  of  evil  deeds  now 
adays.  O  Ad,  my  darling ! "  and  her  soft  arms  are 
about  my  neck,  her  flushed  cheek  throbs  against 
mine,  "  have  we  not  both  found  the  best,  the  sweetest 
thing  in  the  whole  wide  world  ?  Is  it  not  Eden  come 
over  again  ?  Who  cares  for  the  great  Babylon  with  its 
strifes  and  env}dngs  and  hatreds  ?  We  shall  be  rich 
enough  for  our  needs,  and,  what  is  immeasurably 
better,  we  shall  be  happy,  gladly,  joyfully  happy. 
We  shall  not  envy  any  nabob  of  them  all." 

I  held  her  in  my  arms  many  minutes.  Who  dares 
to  say  other  loves  pale  beside  the  one  great  soul- 
giving  ? 

I  think  Pryor  rather  resented  Eve's  engagement 
in  a  queer,  irritable  sort  of  way ;  but  everybody 
else  took  it  fairly  well.  Sadie  Palmer  insisted  that 
she  had  thrown  herself  away,  and  that,  if  she  had 
shown  good  sense,  she  would  have  chosen  a  plumber, 
so  she  could  have  made  sure  of  a  trip  to  Europe. 
But  we  four  were  satisfied. 

The  baby's  name,  too,  did  get  settled  at  last.  It 
was  simply  Thurston.  Eve  and  I  stood  for  it.  I 
endowed  it  with  a  silver  cup  and  five  dollars  that 
opened  the  little  lad's  banking-account. 


IN  A   GARDEN  371 

We  exhort  our  young  people  a  great  deal  on  the 
subject  of  saving  money,  and  there  are  tremen 
dous  economical  essays  in  many  of  the  more  intel 
lectual  journals.  I  sometimes  wonder  how  the 
writers  thereof  would  live  and  save  on  fifty  dollars  a 
month.  Here  was  my  essay  for  four  months.  I 
seldom  smoked.  I  rarely  drank  beer  or  any  other 
liquor.  Our  housekeeping,  as  I  have  said,  was  a 
joint  affair,  we  three  men  paying  the  bills ;  and  we 
did  buy  at  a  considerable  advantage.  My  cost  of 
the  living,  including  Eve's  share,  was  as  follows, 
under  the  head  of  board  :  — 

October.  —  Board $26 

Clothing G 

Incidentals 7 


November. —Board $22 

Overcoat 20 

Incidentals 5 

$47 

December.  —  Board $22 

Clothing 6 

Incidentals 3 

Gifts  7 


January.  —  Board $18 

Shoes 5 

Incidentals 4 

Gifts 10 


372  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND   EVE 

The  reader  will  see  that  during  four  months,  at 
fifty  dollars  a  month,  I  had  earned  two  hundred 
dollars.  I  had  spent  one  hundred  dollars  and  sixty- 
one  cents.  Consequently  I  had  saved  just  thirty- 
nine.  Incidentals  with  me  meant  my  paper,  car-fares, 
charities,  and  a  very  few  personal  wants.  I  was  not 
severe  on  clothes.  I  seldom  bought  high-priced  ones. 
During  these  four  months  I  had  hardly  spent  five 
dollars  for  Eve :  she  would  have  it  so.  Granting 
that  I  could  continue  this  scale,  which  was  hardly 
possible,  I  should  save  one  hundred  and  thirty-six 
dollars  in  a  year.  I  could  take  no  journeys,  rarely 
go  to  a  place  of  amusement,  must  never  be  ill,  and 
have  no  extra  demands.  Is  not  the  subject  of  saving 
largely  theorized  upon  when  one  has  a  small  income  ? 

I  had  lent  Pryor  my  thousand  dollars  at  seven  per 
cent,  on  condition  it  remained  six  months  or  longer 
with  him.  I  knew  out  of  the  remainder  I  could 
carry  on  current  expenses  with  the  greenhouse,  and 
I  would  not  have  that  lying  idle. 

Before  finishing  this  chapter,  I  must  say  a  few 
words  about  Walter  Benson.  I  found  him  a  careful 
little  business  chap.  When  one  has  a  great  love 
and  aptitude  for  any  certain  branch,  carefulness  does 
the  rest.  I  think  these  three  are  the  component 
parts  of  most  of  the  so-called  genius.  There  is  no 
such  thing  as  luck,  generally  speaking.  If  you 


IN  A  GARDEN  373 

know  how  to  do  a  thing  rightly,  and  do  it  in  that 
manner,  success  may  be  looked  for  with  certainty. 
He  had  the  love  and  the  aptitude.  A  cross  hen 
rarely  pecked  at  him.  His  voice  and  motions  were 
all  gentle.  He  was  very  ingenious  as  well.  He  had 
ninety-six  laying  hens  and  pullets,  and  he  made 
them  attend  to  their  duty  straight  along  by  warmth, 
water,  and  proper  food.  In  December  he  purchased 
an  incubator  that  held  two  hundred  eggs,  and  put 
in  half  that  number.  Testing  them  on  the  fourth 
day,  he  found  fifteen  of  the  number  not  fertilized. 
Of  his  eighty-five  eggs  he  hatched  successfully 
seventy-eight  chickens,  paying  thorough  attention  to 
it.  He  made  some  artificial  brooders  that  would 
hold  about  twenty-five,  and  kept-  them  in  these  in  a 
warm  room  for  two  weeks,  losing  five  chickens.  He 
had  fitted  up  the  barn-loft  with  a  stove  and  a  hot- 
water  pipe  to  run  under  the  brooders,  and  now  he 
took  them  out  there.  They  had  sunshine,  freedom, 
gravel,  bits  of  green  things,  and  proper  food,  and 
grew  famously,  being  all  of  large  breeds.  He  had 
seventy-three  beautiful  chickens,  which  he  sold,  at 
seven  weeks  old,  for  a  dollar  apiece.  The  next  time 
he  put  in  two  hundred  eggs,  and  had  from  these  one 
hundred  and  seventy-eight  chickens,  losing  only  three 
or  four.  Of  eggs  he  had  an  abundance  at  their 
highest  prices.  Clearly,  he  had  a  "  genius "  for  it. 


374  A  MODERN  ADAM   AND  EVE 

After  February  came  in,  our  winter  was  very  much 
broken.  And,  oh,  how  busy  we  were,  —  Celia  with 
her  pictures,  Eve  and  Helen  with  the  hotel,  Lawrence 
and  I  with  our  greenhouse  which  grew  more  captivat 
ing  every  day !  We  learned  to  economize  space. 
When  our  plants  showed  signs  of  giving  out,  we  cut 
them  back,  put  them  in  a  cooler  place,  —  infirmary, 
we  called  it, —  treated  them  to  fresh  soil,  and  let  them 
recover.  Our  geranium-slips  were  coming  on  finely, 
and  we  would  have  quite  a  host  of  bedding-plants. 
After  the  snow  went  off,  I  enriched  my  strawberries, 
and  covered  them  with  the  sashes ;  and  in  a  short 
time  bud-clusters  stuck  up  their  defiant  green  heads 
as  if  they  were  outwitting  somebody. 


IN   A  GARDEN  375 


CHAPTER  XXI 

COUNTING   THE   GAINS 

THE  1st  of  April  we  balanced  our  books,  as  we 
had  resolved  to  do  every  six  months.  So  far  it  had 
been  an  experiment,  though  we  did  not  mean  to  be 
discouraged  if  we  had  not  come  out  quite  square. 
We  had  found  many  ways  in  which  we  could 
improve.  Our  nasturtiums  coming  in  bloom  during 
March  were  eagerly  snapped  up,  and  brought  us  con 
siderable  profit.  I  told  Eve  that  this  rightly  belonged 
to  her  ;  but  she  declared  that  she  had  been  so  in  luck 
all  winter,  she  would  not  take  a  penny  of  it. 

I  found  now  that  we  stood  on  this  wise,  — 

EXPENSES. 

Plants $247 

Circulars  and  advertising  and  fares 24 

Flower-pots 36 

Fuel 73 

$380 
Half-year's  interest 175 


376  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

We  had  decided  the  business  must  pay  the  interest 
on  the  cost  of  the  place  at  seven  per  cent,  so  Law 
rence  would  not  lose  on  his  investment. 

Our  profit  ran  in  this  order :  — 

October $21 

November 37 

December 65 

January 170 

February 145 

March 163 

$591 

I  suppose  you  will  think  thirty-six  dollars  was 
small  pay  for  half  a  year's  work.  It  would  not  have 
done  had  we  nothing  else  to  depend  on.  I  am  aware 
that  people  have  made  more  money  on  a  smaller 
place.  Our  advantage  was  our  increase  of  stock,  our 
experience,  our  business  being  in  good  shape  to  go 
to  work  at  in  real  earnest.  We  had  bedding-plants 
and  tomatoes  and  lettuce  in  cold-frames.  Indeed,  we 
-began  to  sell  the  lettuce  now ;  our  first  fifty  heads 
bringing  us  in  seven  dollars,  and  giving  us  our  ground 
to  use  over  again.  The  last  of  the  month  brought  us 
thirty-eight  dollars  for  strawberries.  In  fact,  our 
April  sales  mounted  up  one  hundred  and  ninety-five 
dollars,  and  our  expense  for  coal  was  trifling. 

By  the  middle  of  April  the  hotel  was  practically 
completed.  There  was  to  be  no  papering  at  present, 


IN  A   GARDEN  377 

until  after  the  walls  had  settled.  Part  of  the  wood 
work  was  finished  in  oil  or  varnish,  a  little  of  it 
stained;  and  most  of  the  walls  on  the  third  floor 
were  left  in  a  soft  light-gray  tint,  very  pleasant  to 
the  eye.  It  was  plain,  but  comfortable  and  home 
like  ;  no  great  pretence,  or  straining  after  effect. 
Everybody  was  interested  in  the  furnishing  and 
naming,  especially  Helen  and  Eve. 

I  think  Lawrence  had  quite  a  desire  to  marry,  but 
Eve  had  some  plans  of  her  own.  Pryor  would  have 
been  heart-broken  had  she  declined  the  supervision 
of  the  hotel :  in  fact,  I  think  he  felt  rather  fretted 
until  she  did  agree  to  it.  Jane  had  offered  to  come 
as  general  housekeeper,  —  a  position  she  had  held  in 
a  charitable  institution.  She  had  a  cousin  who  was 
an  excellent  cook,  and  who  had  a  son  sixteen,  and 
a  daughter  fourteen.  On  condition  she  could  have 
these  two  employed,  she  would  come  for  lower 
wages.  Mrs.  Pryor  thought  these  young  people 
could  be  trained  in  ways  of  usefulness,  and  Jane 
answered  for  their  being  "  nice  children." 

Furnishing  a  place  like  this  did  seem  rather 
appalling,  but  this  had  been  thought  of  in  the 
finishing.  The  parlors  had  a  wide  border  of  hard 
wood,  in  very  pretty  design,  and  the  carpets  would 
be  more  in  the  fashion  of  a  large  rug.  On  the 
chambers,  matting  would  be  largely  used:  some  of 


378  A  MODERN  ADAM   AND  EVE 

the  smaller  rooms  had  painted  floors  and  rugs. 
Celia  brought  out  many  very  pretty  ideas.  I  began 
to  learn  that  Eve  had  not  a  monopoly  of  them. 

Lawrence  and  I  chose  a  rather  large  chamber  on 
the  third  floor.  It  had  two  closets,  was  to  have  two 
beds.  On  the  second  floor  were  to  be  the  Pryors, 
with  Celia  and  Eve,  and  a  family  sitting-room,  with 
a.  little  studio  for  Celia.  Our  own  rooms  we  fur 
nished,  and  the  sitting-room  received  general  contri 
butions.  This  was  in  the  southern  end  also,  and  a 
side-stairs  led  directly  to  our  chamber.  So,  in  effect, 
we  would  be  a  little  family  by  ourselves. 

Certainly  it  was  an  unfailing  source  of  interest; 
but,  as  it  needed  to  be  advertised  immediately,  a 
name  was  an  urgent  necessity.  No  one  wanted  to 
stand  direct  sponsor,  though  we  tried  on  each 
other's  names,  and  they  sounded  very  well,  but 
did  not  quite  captivate  our  fancy.  Joe  humorously 
proposed  "The  Adam  and  Eve,"  as  we  could  not 
have  it  Paradise  or  Eden. 

"  See  here,"  said  Gordon  Pryor,  "  some  of  you  go 
down  and  call  on  Mrs.  Harwood,  and  ask  the  favor 
of  her  name.  Harwood  House  has  a  tone  and  style 
about  it.  And  it  just  occurs  to  me,  that  —  may  I  be 
slangy,  ladies  and  gentlemen  ?  —  Mrs.  Harwood  gave 
Athens  its  fortunate  '  boost '  into  prosperity.  I  was 
awfully  discouraged  when  you  came  here,  Thurston, 


IN  A  GARDEN  379 

and  thought  I  should  look  out  some  more  thriving 
settlement.  But  Truro  and  Glendale  had  built  up 
from  nothing  greater  than  a  railroad  station ;  and 
this  place  possessed  finer  capabilities,  was  more 
picturesque.  Perhaps  I  had  a  high  ambition  in 
wanting  to  bring  up  a  town  ;  but  why  not  do  it  here  as 
well  as  at  the  West  ?  You  know  how  I  badgered  you 
to  buy  the  Cassel  place.  I  think  I  was  making  it 
a  sort  of  test.  And  but  for  your  charming  Mrs. 
Harwood,  there  mightn't  have  been  any  luck  at  all." 

"  Why,  that  is  splendid  !  "  declared  Eve.  "  I  will 
go  to  New  York  to-morrow." 

Mrs.  Harwood  accepted  it  as  a  compliment.  She 
came  over,  and  we  had  a  royal  christening.  We 
had  just  "  moved  in,"  as  the  girls  thought  they  could 
get  along  faster  by  being  on  the  spot ;  and  the  living 
was  like  a  picnic,  with  oceans  of  fun  to  ease  the  work. 

Lawrence  and  I  were  busy  as  badgers.  We  packed 
away  violets  and  every  thing  we  could  spare,  and 
had  a  cucumber  garden.  Of  our  three  hundred 
seeds,  we  had  two  hundred  and  nineteen  thrifty 
plants.  In  the  warm,  rich  soil  they  had  thriven 
finely  ;  and,  as  luxuries  out  of  season  bring  high 
prices,  we  sold  our  first  hundred  for  fifteen  dollars, 
the  next  three  hundred  for  ten  dollars  a  hundred, 
and  the  lowest  brought  us  in  three  dollars.  In  all, 
we  had  nineteen  hundred  cucumbers. 


380  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

We  had  to  hire  an  extra  man  in  our  garden,  and 
took  an  apprentice,  a  friendless  lad  Joe  had  taken  in 
out  of  the  boundless  pity  of  his  heart,  and  who  had 
a  passion  for  gardening.  I  felt  I  ought  to  throw  up 
my  position,  but  Lawrence  insisted  that  I  did  my 
share  in  off-hours. 

Cut-flowers  were  dropping  down  in  price,  but  the 
demand  for  bedding-plants  began.  It  seemed  as  if 
half  the  people  in  Athens  were  flower-crazy,  and 
from  the  little  stations  around  they  came  daily. 
Indeed,  the  prestige  of  raising  strawberries  and 
cucumbers  early  in  the  season  gave  us  a  great 
mount  on  the  ladder  of  fame. 

"  Well,"  said  Mr.  Montgomery  one  day,  as  he  was 
sauntering  round,  "  you  do  beat  the  Dutch ;  and  my 
grandmother  used  to  say  they  were  hard  to  beat. 
'Most  ready  to  buy  another  house,  I  suppose  ? 
Young  tnen  like  Pryor  and  you  are  making  all  the 
money  !  And  that  queer-looking  little  Benson,  with 
his  incubator!  I  never  would  believe  there  were 
any  such  fools  in  the  world  as  to  give  a  dollar  for  a 
spring-chicken  or  a  quart  of  strawberries,  and  ten 
or  twenty  cents  for  a  cucumber.  Why,  it  used  to 
take  solid  work  to  make  a  fortune  years  ago,  not 
any  such  nonsensical  fandangoes  !  " 

He  looked  very  much  aggrieved,  and  eyed  the 
greenhouses  as  if  they  were  a  positive  injury  to 


IN  A  GARDEN  381 

him.  It  was  rather  hard,  when  he  had  so  confidently 
predicted  my  unsuccess. 

We  decided  that  we  must  have  a  new  fence  around 
our  garden.  There  was  a  very  fair  picket-fence 
down  Linden  Street ;  and  we  had  this  strengthened 
with  some  extra  posts,  about  two  feet  higher,  from 
which  were  stretched  two  rows  of  barbed  wire.  At 
the  bottom  of  the  lot,  a  tight  board  fence  three 
feet  high,  and  three  rows  of  wire  above  this.  On 
Rutherford  Avenue,  we  had  quite  a  pretty  wire 
fence,  and  now  we  felt  well  protected  from  mis 
chievous  marauders.  Then  we  arranged  our  ground 
between  the  houses,  which  gave  us  two  more  long 
arcades,  both  having  pointed  roofs,  and  taking  the 
sunshine  beautifully,  while  they  were  quite  pro 
tected  from  the  sharp  winds.  We  put  in  one  more 
heater,  and  arranged  some  new  leaders,  that  our 
rain-water  should  not  go  to  waste.  The  cost  of 
this,  and  the  extra  that  Hildreth  had  spent  in  the 
fall,  added  about  another  thousand  in  value  to 
the  place.  In  here,  we  began  to  raise  some  stock 
for  the  coming  winter. 

During  May,  our  sales  for  bedding-plants,  toma 
toes,  and  cut-flowers  amounted  to  three  hundred 
and  ninety-seven  dollars.  We  had  also  sold  lettuce 
and  some  cucumbers,  and  had  our  out-of-doors  beds 
arranged.  My  young  peach-trees  looked  thrifty,  and 


382  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

blossomed  very  nicely:  my  currants  made  a  good 
show.  It  was  such  a  delight  to  watch  them 
changing  day  by  day. 

By  the  last  of  May  ten  rooms  were  engaged  at 
Harwood  House.  Our  new  cook  rejoiced  in  the  high- 
sounding  name  of  Bathsheba,  commonly  called  Sheba^ 
She  was  not  quite  as  refined  and  lady -like  as  Jane,  but 
she  evidently  understood  her  business.  Tilly  made 
a  deft  little  waiter,  and  Homer  exhibited  signs  of 
"  handiness  "  that  spoke  well  for  his  future  training. 
By  the  last  of  the  month  we  had  quite  a  household, 
and  only  five  rooms  vacant.  Mrs.  Harwood  engaged 
two  rooms  for  summer  quarters.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Palmer,  infant  daughter  and  nurse,  and  a  cousin  of 
Mrs.  Brooke's,  —  a  Mr.  Danforth,  —  came  in  their 
party.  Then  we  had  no  fear  of  the  hotel  not  being  a 
success.  We  were  all  very  much  interested  in  it. 

Eve  kept  the  books,  made  out  the  bills,  looked 
after  household  stores,  and  entertained.  The  master 
of  the  house,  its  acknowledged  head,  was  Gordon 
Pryor,  quite  an  important  citizen  of  Athens,  with  his 
real-estate  office,  lumber  and  coal  business ;  but  Joe 
took  most  of  the  charge  of  this  department.  There 
was,  of  course,  a  good  deal  of  talk  about  his  having 
too  many  irons  in  the  fire ;  and  some  of  the  old  fogies 
predicted  his  speedy  downfall.  But  I  think  Pryor 
quite  knew  what  he  was  about;  and  though  in 


IN  A  GARDEN  383 

certain  respects  he  seemed  venturesome,  he  had  what 
is  called  a  long  head,  and  a  shrewd  one  as  well.  He 
had  started  out  to  make  Athens  a  live  place,  and  he 
was  doing  it. 

He  had  the  pretty  chestnut-grove  cleared  up, 
syustic  seats  arranged,  and  hooks  put  up  for  ham 
mocks.  Then  he  arranged  a  lawn-tennis  court,  and 
a  club  was  speedily  formed.  The  Musical  Union  was 
to  meet  once  in  two  weeks  in  the  hotel-parlor,  and 
regale  us  with  songs.  He  purchased  two  fine  row- 
boats,  and  kept  one  or  two  carriages  on  hire  all  the 
time. 

Of  course  he  was  to  pay  Eve  a  salary.  Mrs.  Har- 
wood  demurred  a  little  at  the  whole  arrangement, 
so  did  Hildreth ;  but  Eve  carried  her  point  in  a  most 
charming  manner.  There  was  something  quite  inde 
scribable  about  her.  I  think  the  French  word 
"chic"  expresses  it.  She  had  an  elegant  kind  of  dig 
nity,  —  light,  airy,  but  not  frivolous.  People  would 
not  be  likely  to  offer  her  a  slight  to  her  face.  Then 
she  had  such  a  joyous,  inspiriting  nature  :  every  thing 
she  touched  seemed  to  come  into  shape  at  once. 
Joe  had  this  same  quality.  Perplexity  appeared 
rather  amusing  when  they  attacked  it.  Trouble  lost 
its  sharp  edge. 

We  had  a  great  surprise  early  in  July,  in  the 
return  of  Senor  Estradura  with  a  pretty  Spanish 


384  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

wife,  whose  large,  soft  dark  eyes  conquered  you 
at  once.  His  amazement  at  all  things  —  changes, 
improvements  —  was  absolutely  laughable ;  and  he 
insisted  at  once  on  being  enrolled  on  the  books  of 
Harwood  House. 

We  certainly  did  have  a  delightful  summer.  There 
were  musicales,  amateur  theatricals  twice,  dancing- 
parties,  and  no  end  of  out-of-door  amusements.  I 
think  everybody  enjoyed  it  immensely.  Other 
houses  were  filled.  People  began  to  visit  Athens  as 
a  much  talked-of  place,  and  were  enthusiastic  about 
its  beauty;  while  its  proximity  to  New  York  ren 
dered  it  so  accessible.  It  still  had  the  air  of  a  two- 
hundred-years-old  country-town.  There  were  famous 
old  oaks  and  elms,  hillsides,  chestnut'groves ;  and 
this  summer  we  christened  our  highest  peak  Mount 
Ida. 

As  for  ourselves,  we  prospered.  We  worked  hard, 
early  in  the  morning  and  late  at  night,  taking  turns 
at  office-business  for  a  rest.  Lawrence  certainly 
throve  upon  it.  We  saw  our  way  to  larger  things, 
—  to  prosperity,  perhaps  to  fortune.  The  consump 
tion  of  flowers  and  choice  early  fruit  or  berries  is 
enormous.  True,  an  immense  deal  comes  from  the 
South,  from  all  over.  People's  desire  for  it  may  pall 
a  little;  but  you  set  before  them  a  dish  of  straw 
berries,  ripened  by  the  sun,  fragrant  with  dews,  and 


IN  A  QARDEN  385 

fresh  from  the  vine,  with  a  lovely,  perfect  flavor, 
and  it  is  more  enjoyable  to  a  critical  taste  than 
berries  picked  within  three  or  four  days  of  ripeness. 
So  with  tomatoes.  We  raised  some  early  ones  in  the 
greenhouse  :  we  had  others  that  blossomed  while  yet 
in  the  cold-frames.  The  later  ones,  I  thought, 
would  hardly  pay  for  marketing ;  but  the  first  fort 
night  my  demand  was  beyond  my  supply.  I  had, 
too,  an  excellent  customer  in  the  hotel ;  though  we 
made  special  rates  with  Pryor,  or  rather  Eve,  who 
proved  as  excellent  a  purveyor  on  a  large  scale  as 
she  had  been  on  a  smaller  one. 

We  kept  our  man  ten  weeks,  and  paid  him  one 
hundred  dollars ;  and  wre  made  forty-one  dollars  on 
the  gardening  he  did  for  outside  parties.  We  paid 
Fred  Harrison  five  dollars  a  week  for  the  first  year. 
He  was  a  strong,  stout  lad  of  sixteen,  with  a  great 
love  for  the  business,  and  unusual  tastes.  He 
boarded  with  a  woman  near  by,  who  took  him  at 
a  low  price  in  consideration  of  his  doing  some  work 
for  her,  which  agreement  I  am  glad  to  say  he  kept 
faithfully. 

There  were  times  when  my  heart  smote  me  with 
a  pang  as  Joe  Crawford  walked  through  the  grounds 
with  me.  His  whole  soul  was  with  us,  and  it  seemed 
cruel  to  have  him  crowded  out.  But  we  could  not 
do  as  well  by  him  as  Pryor  was  doing,  which  was 


386  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

beyond  what  he  had  first  promised.  Then,  I  do  not 
know  how  he  could  have  spared  so  efficient  and 
trustworthy  a  man  as  Joe.  They  pulled  together  so 
harmoniously.  Pryor  had  no  mean  little  jealousies. 
I  think  he  was  as  anxious  that  Joe  should  prosper  as 
if  he  had  been  his  own  brother. 

"  It  will  all  come  out  right  in  the  end,"  said  Joe 
in  his  cheery  fashion.  "  Pryor  is  thinking  of  getting 
control  of  this  piece  of  the  Teall  property  on  Myrtle 
Avenue ;  and  if  he  does,  I'm  to  have  the  lot  down 
there,  joining  you.  We'll  have  a  gate;  and  Ruth 
and  I  can  walk  through  at  our  leisure,  and  take  as 
much  delight  as  if  it  was  really  ours.  And  maybe 
you  will  let  me  come  in  and  amuse  myself  trying 
experiments.  It  is  better  to  keep  straight  on  in  the 
road  of  prosperity,  than  to  turn  aside  and  spend 
one's  time  getting  established  over  again.  But  I 
shall  always  look  at  you  two  fellows  with  just  a  bit 
of  envy  down  deep  in  my  heart." 

Dear  Joe.  He  was  welcome  to  the  best  we  had  ! 
There  have  been  several  happy  years  in  our  lives; 
but  with  all  its  labor,  that  one  might  truly  be  called 
a  golden  summer.  It  was  not  free  from  perplexities, 
and  sometimes  I  grudged  the  busy  hours  that  kept 
me  from  my  darling.  But  every  day  brought  us 
nearer  the  time  when  our  two  lives  would  be  merged 
into  one.  I  do  not  know  that  our  hopes  and  plans 


IN   A   GARDEN  387 

could  have  been  more  united  by  any  tie.  Now,  in 
our  days  of  youth,  we  meant  to  make  some  pro 
vision  for  the  time  that  overtakes  all,  if  life  is 
spared,  when  toil  becomes  a  burden,  and  one  loses 
that  keen  relish  for  the  struggle,  the  true  time  of 
enjoyment,  when  one  has  fully  earned  it. 

It  was  a  bright,  glad,  lovely  summer.  Celia  used 
to  repeat  a  little  poem  from  a  writer  of  some  note 
in  years  agone,  beginning,  — 

"  Oh,  time  is  sweet,  when  roses  meet, 
With  breath  of  spring  around  them  !  " 

and  two  of  the  last  lines  used  to  float  through  my 

brain,  — 

"And  naught  can  be  so  sweet  to  see, 

As  old  friends  met  together." 

And  there  was  a  great  meeting  of  old  friends.  The 
hotel  and  the  growing  charm  of  Athens  called  back 
most  of  the  gay  group  who  had  participated  in  the 
frolic  of  the  first  summer  in  our  own  house.  Mrs. 
Wilbur  gave  a  really  elegant  lawn-party,  the 
Randalls  another,  and  Walter  Benson  insisted  that 
we  should  accept  the  hospitalities  of  our  old  home. 
Estradura  took  his  wife  about  the  grounds,  explaining 
in  his  vivacious  Spanish  his  remembrance  of  an 
olden  delight.  Is  it  truly  only  such  a  brief  while 
ago?  So  much  has  happened  since  that  summer! 


388  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

This  with  him  is  merely  a  visit,  since  he  is  to  return 
to  Europe  in  the  autumn.  Why,  it  seems  as  if  almost 
a  lifetime  lay  between. 

We  planned  to  be  married  in  October,  the  four  of 
us.  We  were  to  go  on  living  at  Harwood  House : 
it  was  convenient,  and  in  some  respects  less  care. 
Eve's  engagement  was  made  with  Pryor  for  a  year, 
but  she  was  to  have  a  month's  vacation.  She  had 
certainly  shown  that  she  could  keep  a  hotel.  Several 
of  the  married  couples  proposed  to  stay  on  through 
the  winter ;  and  three  of  the  young  men,  whom  I 
rather  suspected  of  being  charmed  with  the  native 
belles,  engaged  steady  quarters.  Mr.  Kingdon  of  the 
wire-works,  a  widower  with  three  daughters,  gave 
up  housekeeping  to  go  away  for  the  summer,  and  on 
returning  they  settled  at  Harwood  House.  So  there 
would  be  a  family  for  the  winter  as  well. 

Pryor  had  arranged  his  house  with  due  regard  to 
heating.  The  steam-boiler  stood  about  in  the 
middle  of  the  basement  story;  and  the  heat  could 
be  entirely  cut  off  of  the  northern  end,  as  he  had 
not  supposed  there  would  be  any  demand  for  the 
rooms  in  the  winter.  So  with  the  water.  One  could 
live  in  the  southern  rooms  with  no  fear  of  freezing 
pipes,  or  trouble  of  any  kind. 

In  addition  to  the  "  help,"  there  had  been  a  young 
colored  man  as  waiter,  and  a  laundress.  This  had 


IN  A  GARDEN  389 

been  a  scheme  of  Eve's.  There  was  a  splendid  large 
laundry  fitted  up  conveniently.  The  laundress  had 
twenty  dollars  a  month  and  her  board.  She  washed 
and  ironed  regularly.  The  clothing  of  the  boarders 
was  taken  at  ordinary  prices,  Homer  spent  an  hour 
or  two  a  day  at  the  washing-machine,  and  Jane 
occasionally  ironed.  When  they  fell  behind,  an 
extra  woman  was  hired.  There  proved  to  be 
considerable  profit  in  this,  and  the  boarders  were 
well  satisfied. 

Pryor  had  been  getting  his  money  out  of  his 
cottages,  and  resolved  to  enlarge  the  hotel ;  for  we 
found  there  was  call  for  transient  accommodations, 
and  a  demand  for  meals.  Parties  rowed  up  the 
river,  and  wanted  a  dinner,  or  were  out  driving,  and 
required  refreshments  of  some  kind.  All  these 
accommodations  had  a  bearing  upon  the  future  of 
Athens,  and  Pryor  had  resolved  to  use  every  effort 
for  its  advancement. 

As  for  us,  our  ambition  was  not  a  whit  behind  his. 
We  improved  every  moment,  every  opportunity.  Some 
mornings  we  were  in  our  garden  by  daylight,  and  it 
repaid  our  care  generously.  We  had  a  splendid  out- 
of-doors  rose-bed.  Having  so  much  space,  we  made 
nice  wide  paths  everywhere,  and  our  place  was  quite 
a  resort  of  the  hotel  people.  We  built  two  rustic 
summer-houses,  which  we  found  extremely  pleasant 


390  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

for  ourselves.  We  re-arranged  our  rose-house, 
putting  in  the  most  profitable  winter-bloomers,  and 
those  in  greatest  demand.  Bon  Silene,  Sofrano,  Mrs. 
Charles  Wood,  a  beautiful  tea-rose  called  Sunset,  and 
a  number  of  other  hybrid  perpetuals,  we  had  found 
excellent.  We  had  also  managed  admirably  with 
heliotrope,  and  had  a  large  plot  of  cuttings.  But, we 
found  one  of  the  greatest  points  for  profit  was  novelty. 
A  new  flower,  or  a  great  quantity  of  something  out 
of  season,  took  like  wildfire.  We  meant  the  coming 
winter  to  make  money. 

We  laid  out  some  new  cold-frames  on  quite  a  dif 
ferent  plan,  digging  about  two  feet  down,  and  filling 
up  one  foot  with  soil.  The  sides  we  braced  with 
timber.  They  were  about  five  feet  wide,  and  slanted 
to  a  fall  of  ten  inches  in  that.  Our  timbering  was 
raised  a  little,  and  the  ground  thrown  up  for 
warmth.  We  had  here  two  rows  fifty  feet  long, 
which  lay  to  the  south,  and  would  take  the  sun  all 
winter.  On  bitter  cold  nights  we  could  cover  them 
over ;  and  in  here  we  set  many  hardy  things  for  use 
in  the  ensuing  spring,  and  so  had  our  heated  houses 
to  use  for  other  matters.  Our  timber  had  been  odds 
and  ends  from  Pryor's  yard,  and  our  glass  was  very 
cheap.  The  labor  we  did  ourselves. 

On  the  1st  of  October,  our  second  term,  as  we 
called  it,  we  stood  thus :  — 


IN  A   GARDEN  391 

SALES. 

April.     Flowers $195 

Bedding-plants 87 

May.      Bedding-plants 395 

Cut-flowers 150 

June.      Cut-flowers 130 

Plants 180 

July.      Flowers 156 

Aufj.       Flowers 145 

Sept.       Flowers 132 

Plants 54 

Cucumbers,  early  and  late 240 

Strawberries 67 

Other  fruits  and  vegetables 78 

Outside  gardening 41 

$1,950 

The  expenses  for  the  six  months  were  as  follows :  — 

Paid  to  gardener  ten  weeks $100 

Paid  to  boy  five  months 125 

For  new  plants 15 

Flower-pots 10 

Interest 210 

Coal 7 

Improvements 45 

$512 

Subtracting  our  expenses  from  the  income,  and 
dividing  that  sum  by  two,  gave  us  each  seven  hun 
dred  and  nineteen  dollars  for  our  summer's  work. 
I  had  saved  from  my  salary  an  average  of  twelve 
dollars  a  month ;  and  all  my  savings,  including  the 


392  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

interest  on  my  thousand  dollars,  counted  up  five  hun 
dred  and  twenty  dollars.  So  that  now  my  fortune 
amounted  to  $2,247.  I  began  to  feel  quite  like  a 
nabob. 

We  advanced  our  lad's  wages  to  six  dollars  a 
week.  Our  coal  had  been  put  in:  our  autumnal 
work  was  pretty  well  done.  In  such  a  business,  there 
always  remains  plenty  of  work,  but  we  had  resolved 
not  to  let  one  season's  duties  lap  over  into  another. 
And  in  view  of  what  was  to  occupy  a  part  of  this 
month,  we  thought  it  would  not  be  wisdom  to  fall 
behind. 

We  found  that  we  had  nearly  quadrupled  our 
stock.  Our  four  houses  were  as  full  as  they  could 
be  crowded  with  regard  to  the  well-being  of  our 
favorites.  Our  roses  were  in  a  splendid  condition. 
We  had  kept  on  raising  new  ones,  and  now  and 
then  developed  an  unexpected  variety  through  some 
queer  freak  of  nature. 

I  must  say  a  word  here  about  my  young  peach- 
trees.  I  had  now  two  rows  of  twenty  each  that 
would  come  into  fine  bearing  another  year.  We  had 
from  them  all  about  five  bushels  of  peaches  this  year, 
and  we  could  count  on  considerable  profit.  My  black 
berries  1  had  set  along  the  Myrtle-avenue  fence. 
Some  few  might  be  taken  by  officious  hands,  but 
there  would  be  an  abundance  left.  They  had  grown 


393 

tremendously,  and  would  fruit  finely  another  sum 
mer.  It  seemed  to  me  that  we  could  count  on  a 
clear  income  of  over  a  thousand  dollars  apiece  next 
year.  I  could  afford  to  throw  up  the  station,  and 
sent  in  my  resignation  to  take  effect  the  1st  of  Octo 
ber.  I  received  a  very  kindly  note  in  reply,  —  the 
business  at  Athens,  passenger,  freight,  and  expressing, 
had  increased  so  much,  that  they  regretted  losing  so 
honest  and  efficient  a  man.  They  would  therefore 
advance  my  salary  to  sixty  dollars  a  month. 

Who  shall  say  after  this  that  corporations  have  no 
souls  ? 

I  explained  that  I  had  entered  a  more  profitable 
and  agreeable  business,  and  thanked  them  for  their 
generous  offer.  I  could  afford  to  retire  from  railroad 
ing,  unless  at  some  future  time  I  should  be  elected 
director  or  president.  Yet  I  looked  around  the  old 
station  and  the  little  office  with  a  pang  of  curious 
regret.  There  had  been  many  hours  of  happiness 
within  its  walls. 

An  old  friend  that  I  had  known  on  a  Western 
road  came  to  hand,  —  a  Frank  Tracy  who  had 
passed  through  quite  a  career.  He  had  been  married 
and  divorced.  His  wife  was  somewhere,  taking 
care  of  two  children ;  and  he  was  a  jolly,  im 
provident  fellow  of  two  and  thirty,  without  money 
enough  to  bury  him  when  he  died.  Socially  he  was 


394  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

not  likely  to  come  much  within  our  circle,  for  our 
pleasures  would  have  bored  him.  He  drank  a  little, 
not  to  excess,  played  billiards  and  pool,  and  did  some 
betting  on  horses  in  the  season.  In  three  months' 
time  there  had  been  so  many  complaints  that  he  was 
removed,  and  the  thing  tried  over  with  a  rather  worn- 
out  married  man  of  forty,  whose  wife  came  to  live 
over  the  station.  But  it  was  not  such  romantic 
living  as  ours  had  been. 

"  I  suppose,"  said  Joe,  "  if  some  one  had  told  me 
three  years  ago  that  I  might  succeed  you  at  the  sta 
tion,  and  earn  fifty  dollars  a  month,  it  would  have 
lifted  me  clear  off  my  feet.  And  here  I  am  on  the 
high  road  to  a  fair  competence,  with  the  sweetest 
wife  in  the  world  and  the  finest  baby,  all  because  you 
hammered  enough  common  sense  into  my  head  to  see 
that  it  was  better  and  happier  by  far  to  have  some 
thing  of  one's  own,  instead  of  handing  it  over  to  a 
saloon-keeper.  If  there  was  half  the  anxiety  that 
the  poor  man  should  have  a  home  of  his  own  that  is 
displayed  in  inducing  him  to  drink  beer  and  rum, 
how  much  better  off  the  world  would  be !  There 
certainly  will  be  a  good  deal  to  answer  for  at  the  last. 
And  I  am  not  sure  but  it  will  one  day  become  one  of 
the  big  factors  in  political  economy." 

I  think  Joe  is  right.     I  am  not  a  bigot.     But  when 


IN  A  GARDEN  395 

we  talk  of  raising  our  fellow-creatures  by  education 
and  art  and  a  love  of  beauty,  let  us  not  drag  them 
down  with  the  other  hand  into  blighting  tempta 
tions. 


396  A  MODEKN  ADAM  AND  EVE 


CHAPTER  XXII 

WEDDING  BELLS 

"  AND  they  were  married,  and  lived  happily  ever 
afterward."  I  suppose  that  is  the  orthodox  ending 
or  beginning.  Little  did  I  imagine  that  Eve  and  I 
would  find  our  fate  and  fortune  in  a  small,  sleepy, 
old-time  country-town.  But  we  had  startled  it  out 
of  its  hundred-year  nap,  which,  perhaps,  has  been 
better  than  "  painting  it  red." 

I  fancy  that  a  man's  idea  of  marriage  is,  oftenest, 
going  off  quietly,  and,  like  Mr.  Wemmick,  stepping 
in  to  be  married,  finding  every  thing  ready  with  no 
fuss.  But  —  well,  Lawrence  and  I  were  in  a  manner 
patriots,  and  were  ready  to  be  sacrificed  for  our 
country. 

It  would  have  been  a  great  disappointment  to  the 
Athenians,  and  to  our  own  little  circle  as  well,  if  we 
had  not  taken  them  into  account.  First  of  all, 
Gordon  Pryor  announced  that  the  bridal  feast,  in 
whatever  shape  it  was  given,  was  solely  his  affair. 
Then,  a  double  wedding  was  rather  out  of  the 


IN  A  GARDEN  397 

ordinary.  And  there  were  so  many  friends  — 
consequently,  there  was  no  resource  but  to  resign 
ourselves  to  fate. 

It  seemed  to  me  that  Harwood  House  overflowed 
with  guests.  Many  of  Eve's  girl-friends  came  over, 
—  married  now,  of  course,  —  but  one  eould  not  forbid 
them  hotel  privileges,  even  if  one  had  felt  ever  so 
hermit-like.  The  Hildreth  cousins  came  on  from 
Philadelphia ;  at  least,  three  of  them  did,  —  two 
bright  girls,  and  a  very  delightful  young  man. 
There  were  three  more  who  were  heads  of  families. 

We  were  married  in  church  at  seven  in  the  even 
ing.  The  church  was  almost  a  garden  of  flowers. 
Mr.  Wilbur  gave  away  both  brides.  Mr.  Bradford 
performed  the  ceremony  with  the  kind  of  tender 
solemnity  that  goes  to  one's  heart.  We  were  con 
voyed  back  to  the  hotel,  which  was  fragrant  with 
flowers  also  ;  and  — 

"  The  feast  was  set, 
The  guests  were  met." 

For  two  hours  we  enjoyed  it  all.  We  were  not 
bored,  we  were  not  surfeited  with  good  wishes ;  and 
we  did  appreciate  the  love  and  kindness  and  the 
enduring  friendship,  for  some  of  it  had  been  tried. 
At  nine  o'clock,  Celia  and  I  said  good-by  to  the 
circle,  and  went  out  to  try  the  new  life  by  ourselves. 


398  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

Lawrence  and  Eve  had  so  willed  it,  since  we  could 
not  both  go  away. 

Where  we  went,  it  matters  not.  It  was  strange 
and  new  and  sweet  to  have  Celia  all  to  myself.  I 
saw  visions  through  her  artistic  eyes.  We  planned 
out  our  lives,  as  I  suppose  all  newly  wedded  lovers 
do.  But  the  crowning  delight  of  all,  was  belonging 
to  each  other.  We  had  been  sensible  lovers,  we  had 
license  now  to  be  as  foolish  as  we  listed.  I  do  not 
even  think  we  were  troubled  about  the  opinion  of 
those  we  met,  whether  or  not  they  considered  us 
newly  married.  It  was  a  delightful,  leisurely  holi 
day  in  the  glorious  old  autumn. 

We  ended  in  Philadelphia  one  Friday  evening, 
expecting  to  reach  Athens  the  next  night;  but,  lo! 
the  hospitable  Hildreths,  aided  and  abetted  by  Eve 
and  Lawrence,  had  planned  otherwise.  They  two 
were  to  come  on  Saturday  evening,  and  we  were  all 
to  return  on  Monday. 

There  were  many  things  to  see  that  day  ;  but  I 
obeyed  Lawrence's  behest,  and  visited  his  favorite 
greenhouses.  Seven  acres  under  glass  was  flower- 
farming  on  a  large  scale.  It  appeared  to  me  that  we 
were  viewing  all  the  beauty  and  bloom  of  the  whole 
world.  Ours  was  a  sort  of  child's  playhouse  com 
pared  to  it;  and  the  well-informed,  courteous  pro 
prietors  were  delightful  men  to  spend  hours  with. 


IN  A   GARDEN  399 

Many  new  ideas  and  suggestions  presented  them 
selves  to  my  mind ;  but  I  found  that,  in  the  main, 
we  were  making  our  time  count  profitably.  It  is 
reaching  a  result  in  the  best  possible  manner  that  is 
the  test:  the  amount  of  time  spent  upon  it  is  not 
the  basis  of  a  correct  estimate.  If  the  day  should 
ever  come  when  each  man  can  do  the  work  for 
which  he  is  best  fitted,  and  for  which  he  has  a  love, 
—  for  the  two  things  must  go  together  to  make  a 
success,  —  there  will  be  a  great  improvement  in  the 
productions  of  the  world,  and,  perhaps,  the  inhabit 
ants  thereof. 

We  had  a  most  enjoyable  day,  and  at  nine  in  the 
evening  Lawrence  and  Eve  made  their  appearance. 
The  greenhouses  had  been  left  to  the  care  of  Joe 
and  our  young  lad,  who  was  progressing  finely, 
being  born  to  the  business.  How  curiously  fasci 
nating  Eve  looked !  I  could  not  help  watching  her. 
The  Hildreths  were  quite  bewitched,  especially  the 
young  man ;  and  I  ought  not  omit  uncle  Jared,  a 
fine  specimen  of  the  half-Quaker  school,  whose 
"  thees  "  had  the  endearing  German  sound  when  he 
used  them. 

A  heavenly  Sunday  it  was,  but  all  days  were 
transcendent.  I  was  so  glad  to  have  Eve  and  Law 
rence  once  more,  and  Celia's  happiness  was  as  fer 
vent.  Eve  would  always  be  the  more  brilliant,  of 


400  A  MODERN  ADAM   AND  EVE 

course  ;  and  the  added  grace  and  dignity  of  marriage 
imparted  something  quite  indescribable.  And  just 
here  I  ought  to  say  that  a  New-York  paper  gave  us 
quite  a  grand  "send-off"  on  the  occasion  of  our 
marriage,  calling  Eve  a  "  beautiful  society-girl  well 
known  in  the  city,"  and  Celia  "  one  of  our  talented 
young  artists,"  and  bringing  Harwood  House,  as 
well  as  Athens,  into  prominent  notice. 

Still,  it  was  very  pleasant  to  come  back  home. 
There  were  warm  welcomes  on  every  hand  :  even 
the  very  flowers  seemed  eloquent.  Joe's  greeting, 
I  think,  touched  me  the  most  of  all. 

"  I'm  glad  you  are  fast  here,"  he  added,  between 
smiles  and  tears;  "for  if  you  went  to  any  new 
place,  I  should  pack  up  and  follow.  I  don't  know 
why,  Thurston,  but  it  just  seems  as  if  I  could  not 
stay  in  any  place  that  didn't  hold  you." 

"We  are  likely,  all  of  us,  to  be  fixtures,"  I  re 
plied  cheerfully;  "and  I  haven't  seen  many  places 
that  I  like  better.  If  we  are  not  quite  in  the  heart 
of  things,  we  can  get  there  in  a  few  moments ;  and 
our  little  town  has  many  beauties  of  its  own." 

It  seemed  so  odd  at  first  not  to  have  to  run  up 
to  the  station  every  hour  or  so !  I  did  oblige  Tracy 
now  and  then ;  but  I  soon  found  that  the  more  you 
granted,  the  more  he  asked,  and  so  began  to  decline. 
And  now  I  could  throw  my  whole  soul  into  my  new 


IN  A   GAKDEN  401 

business.  We  would  have  much  more  to  take  care 
of  this  winter.  There  were  experiments  to  try ; 
there  was  propagating  by  almost  every  method ;  the 
continual  watchfulness  of  light,  heat,  soils ;  nursing 
up  drooping  plants ;  weeding  out  sickly,  worthless 
ones.  I  never  tired  of  it.  Each  day  my  soul 
seemed  more  thoroughly  imbued  with  it,  more  con 
tent  with  the  delightful  toil  that  was  pleasure  under 
another  name,  —  a  thin  disguise,  perhaps. 

Of  course,  we  went  on  at  the  hotel.  I  added  anT 
other  to  the  suite  of  rooms  Lawrence  and  I  had 
shared,  —  a  studio  for  Celia,  that  was  library  and 
sitting-room  when  we  chose.  She  kept  up  her  art 
connection  in  New  York,  going  two  days  in  a  week, 
but  relinquished  her  classes,  devoting  herself  wholly 
to  the  pictures  she  loved,  as  she  always  had  some 
orders  waiting  for  her. 

But  we  four  spent  a  great  deal  of  time  in  the 
greenhouses.  Eve  was  quite  an  expert,  always  had 
been.  Her  love  for  a  home  and  a  garden  had  led  me 
to  take  the  first  fortunate  step  in  my  career.  I  felt 
that  I  really  owed  my  good  fortune  to  her ;  and, 
though  she  had  refused  to  take  more  than  her  half, 
my  wedding-gift  to  her  had  been  a  check  for  five 
hundred  dollars  :  and,  oddly  enough,  Mrs.  Harwood's 
had  been  the  same,  as  she  charmingly  insisted  on 
not  counting  her  additions  to  the  trousseau.  Indeed, 


402  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EYE 

I  thought   the  wedding-gifts   of  both   brides  quite 
munificent. 

By  the  time  we  were  really  settled,  business  started 
up  amazingly.  I  had  been  haunted  by  a  secret  fear 
that  we  might  overdo,  have  more  stock  on  hand  than 
we  could  dispose  of;  but  orders  poured  in.  Prices 
varied  a  little,  to  be  sure,  but  choice  flowers  were 
always  in  demand.  I  used  to  wonder  how  people 
could  afford  to  purchase  such  quantities  of  flowers. 
Lawrence  and  I  kept  very  busy ;  but  there  was  one 
delightful  side  to  the  matter,  —  if  we  wanted  to  go 
away  for  a  few  hours,  or  down  to  the  city  to  any  en 
tertainment,  we  were  our  own  masters.  Our  young 
man  was  very  reliable,  and  Joe  always  insisted  upon 
an  oversight  of  things  when  were  both  away.  Dear 
Joe !  If  any  deed  of  kindliness  brought  back  four 
fold,  you  returned  a  thousand-fold.  I  used  to  smile 
when  I  saw  him  threading  his  way  around,  touching 
some  lovely  blossom  with  the  tenderness  one  bestows 
upon  a  baby.  How  he  did  love  all  beautiful  things ! 
And  how  we  all  respected  him  for  his  manliness,  his 
courage,  and  his  true,  earnest  soul ! 

Seven  years  and  more  have  come  and  gone  since  I 
took  my  first  look  at  Athens ;  for  now  it  is  spring 
instead  of  autumn.  One  would  hardly  call  us  a 
sleepy  little  town  at  present.  We  have  spread  out 


IX  A   GARDEN  403 

our  borders  in  every  direction.  Streets  have  been 
cleared  up,  built  with  rows  of  pretty  cottages  or 
more  pretentious  villas.  Two  more  factories  have 
come  in,  but  they  are  all  in  the  part  below  us,  and 
down  by  the  river ;  and  there  is  a  new  station  at  Park 
Street  for  the  greater  convenience  of  the  inhabitants. 
We  have  a  handsome  hall,  a  flourishing  musical 
union,  an  amateur  dramatic  club,  and  some  very 
attractive  social  life,  a  young  men's  gymnasium  and 
reading-room  ;  and,  as  we  keep  some  of  our  best  men 
in  the  Board  of  Excise,  saloons  do  not  flourish  vigor 
ously.  We  may  be  bigoted  and  narrow-minded ;  but 
I  think,  as  a  community,  we  have  proved  that  there 
are  higher  and  better  moral  tonics  for  the  poor  man 
than  beer  or  whiskey.  We  have  also  a  building  asso 
ciation,  of  which  Mr.  Corwin  —  who,  by  the  way,  is 
prospering  wonderfully  —  is  president,  Mr.  Joseph 
Crawford  vice-president,  and  Gordon  Pry  or  secretary. 
It  builds  houses  on  the  instalment  plan ;  the  owner 
paying  so  much  yearly,  which  includes  interest  at  six 
per  cent,  and  a  small  amount  of  the  principal,  or  a 
larger  sum,  as  one  elects.  If,  through  sickness  or 
misfortune,  the  payments  cannot  be  met,  they  are 
added  back  to  the  whole  amount  for  one  year.  No 
house  is  disposed  of  to  an  habitual  drinker  unless  his 
wife  has  means  of  meeting  the  claims.  The  cottages, 
I  am  happy  to  say,  are  well  built,  if  not  so  fanciful. 


404  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

Indirectly,  it  has  another  side  of  profit  for  Joe  and 
Pryor,  in  the  sale  of  materials.  So  far,  the  demands 
have  exceeded  the  supply  ;  though  Mrs.  Harwood, 
Mr.  Wilbur,  Mr.  Randall,  and  several  other  Athe 
nians,  are  stockholders. 

Gordon  Pryor  is  a  very  successful  business-man. 
His  hotel  is  excellently  managed.  The  added  wing 
is  larger  than  the  main  building;  and  during  the 
season,  which  begins  early  and  ends  late,  it  is  always 
full.  There  are  several  pleasant  boarding-houses 
besides,  and  the  current  of  summer  pilgrimages  to 
Athens  is  unfailing.  Our  pretty  woods  have  been 
cleared  up,  we  are  at  work  on  our  roads,  and  boating 
on  the  river  is  one  of  our  delights  during  the  late 
summer  afternoons  and  moonlight  evenings.  We 
have  also  a  fair  brass  band  that  plays  two  evenings 
in  the  week,  when  people  stroll  around,  or  sit  on  the 
benches  disposed  about  our  little  nucleus  of  a  park, 
or  haunt  the  broad  hotel  piazzas. 

Eve's  connection  with  the  business  management 
ceased  the  spring  after  her  marriage.  A  Gaylord 
cousin,  a  Mrs.  MacPherson,  who  had  begun  life  with 
brilliant  prospects,  but  was  now  a  widow  with  two 
children,  and  only  a  few  hundreds  a  year,  came  for  a 
visit,  and  begged  to  try  her  hand.  She  was  an 
attractive  and  very  agreeable  person,  and  succeeded 
so  well  that  she  was  given  the  post,  and  fills  it 


IN  A  GARDEN  405 

admirably.  Her  little  girl  is  with  her,  her  boy  at 
school.  Mrs.  Pryor  has  two  pretty  children,  of 
whom  their  father  is  immensely  proud. 

Thus  relieved,  Eve  turned  her  attention  to  flowers, 
and  became  Lawrence's  shadow.  They  are  a  happy 
couple,  delightful  as  well ;  and  I  sometimes  think,  of 
all  Eve's  manifold  gifts,  there  is  none  in  which  she 
excels  more  than  in  the  culture  of  flowers,  unless  it 
is  in  their  arrangement.  She  and  Lawrence  are  like 
two  children, — perhaps  more  harmonious  than  im 
mature  childhood  usually  appears.  His  health  is  ex 
cellent,  his  gaunt  frame  has  filled  out  to  handsome 
proportions,  and  they  are  noticeably  fine-looking. 
They  have  one  little  daughter. 

We  have  two  children,  —  a  son  and  a  daughter. 
Celia  still  finds  time  to  paint,  and  has  done  some 
excellent  work.  We  haunt  art  exhibitions  and  club 
receptions,  and  I  sometimes  feel  enthusiastic  enough 
to  paint  a  picture  myself:  then  I  remember  the  fate 
of  Jack-of-all-trades. 

We  are  building  our  new  houses  just  as  Lawrence 
planned,  on  Rutherford  Avenue.  They  are  together, 
and  give  the  effect  of  one  very  imposing  residence. 
The  halls  connect  with  wide  sliding-doors,  and  we 
expect  that  only  portieres  will  divide  us.  We  were 
so  well  endowed  with  wedding-gifts,  arid  have  accu 
mulated  so  many  treasures  since  that  period,  that  it 


406  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

needed  two  houses  to  hold  them.  By  autumn  we 
expect  to  be  settled.  Mrs.  Banks's  daughter,  Letty, 
is  well  married  to  a  waiter  in  one  of  the  large  New- 
York  hotels ;  and  she  —  the  mother  —  has  petitioned 
for  the  post  of  Eve's  housekeeper. 

Walter  Benson  has  prospered  as  well  as  ourselves. 
His  portrait,  his  success,  and  a  brief  biography, 
graced  a  recent  issue  of  a  poultry  monthly.  He  has 
taken  prizes  at  poultry  exhibitions,  and  keeps  some 
most  beautiful  stock.  When  eggs  are  high,  he  man 
ages  to  have  them  in  tolerable  abundance,  and,  with 
the  aid  of  hens  and  incubators,  is  early  in  the  mar 
ket  with  spring-chickens.  He  has  added  two  acres 
of  ground  at  the  back  of  the  place,  and  is,  I  think, 
about  as  happy  a  young  fellow  as  one  can  well 
imagine,  in  spite  of  his  great  misfortune.  He  plays 
delightfully  on  the  violin,  and  spends  many  a 
pleasant  evening  with  us.  He  has  a  kind  of  adoring 
fondness  for  Eve,  and  sometimes  Joe  is  almost 
jealous.  Lawrence  is  rather  amused  by  the  plainly 
exhibited  preferences.  « 

We  have  still  a  few  of  the  old  croakers  left,  or 
we  should  fancy  we  were  quite  in  a  world  of  our 
own.  They  complain  that  Athens  has  been  ruined, 
and  insist  that  it  is  quite  impossible  to  get  a  fair 
price  for  property,  since  it  has  not  gone  up  to  the 
fictitious  value  of  the  swell  times.  Mr.  Montgomery 


IN  A  GARDEN  407 

is  the  head  and  front  of  this  party.  So  far,  he  has 
not  disposed  of  a  single  lot.  Two  or  three  times 
he  has  partly  bargained  away  several  acres,  then  he 
thought  he  ought  to  have  a  higher  price,  and  raised 
his  figures,  losing  thereby  his  opportunity  of  selling. 
However,  as  he  is  not  in  a  really  important  part  of 
the  town,  his  property  can  lie  idle  without  so  much 
detriment.  He  grumbles  about  taxes  and  improve 
ments  j  and  conceited,  feather-headed  young  fellows 
running  every  thing,  and  ruining  it  as  well.  How 
ever,  his  land  will  be  of  some  benefit  to  his 
children. 

Lawrence  and  I  have  branched  out  considerably. 
We  have  now  one  acre  under  glass,  and  numerous 
cold-frames.  Our  "boy"  is  an  intelligent  florist,  to 
whom  we  pay  twelve  dollars  a  week ;  and  we  have 
two  more  lads  who  are  learning.  Through  the 
spring  and  early  summer  we  require  extra  help ;  but 
we  both  devote  our  time  and  our  brains  to  the 
enlargement  of  our  business  and  its  prosperity.  We 
make  a  specialty  of  roses,  both  as  to  plants  and  cut- 
flowers,  and  have,  I  think,  some  of  the  most  magnifi 
cent  roses  on  the  market.  We  also  do  something 
in  the  way  of  choice  fruit.  Our  late  peaches  have 
been  an  astonishing  success,  and  we  have  currants 
that  can  almost  compare  with  cherries ;  but,  as  our 
flower-space  increases,  we  shall  do  less  with  them, 


408  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

though  we  find  them  an  excellent  return  for  the 
time  spent  upon  them. 

Joe  has  achieved  something  better  than  his  first 
dream.  Hildreth  sold  him  a  pretty  plot  at  the 
north-east  corner  of  our  lot,  when  we  decided  to 
build  on  the  north-west.  He  has  erected  a  very 
pretty  Queen  Anne  cottage,  not  too  ornate  in  style ; 
and,  as  his  grounds  are  just  defined  with  a  wire 
fence  to  keep  children  from  trespassing  unduly,  he 
has  all  our  wealth  of  flowers  for  his  enjoyment,  and 
he  loves  them  with  an  ardor  that  often  touches  my 
soul.  He  is  prospering  in  every  way.  Ruth  makes 
a  sweet  and  tender  wife,  and  an  admirable  mother 
to  her  little  brood  of  four.  She  and  Joe  were  con 
firmed  at  St.  Mark's,  and  Joe  is  a  very  earnest  vestry 
man.  Mr.  Bradford  is  still  with  us,  and  has  married 
a  very  lovely  young  English  girl,  who  came  to  New 
York  to  spend  a  winter  with  some  relatives.  We  all 
like  her  exceedingly,  and  every  year  "our  clergy 
man  "  grows  dearer  to  us.  We  are  proposing  now 
to  build  a  new  and  more  convenient  rectory  on  a  lot 
next  the  church,  as  we  have  received  a  very  advan 
tageous  offer  for  the  old  one. 

Our  houses  will  be  quite  delightful.  We  have 
planned  them  ourselves,  with  nooks  and  corners 
and  fireplaces  to  suit,  to  say  nothing  of  closets. 
We  shall  do  a  good  deal  of  the  interior  finishing 


IN  A  GARDEN  409 

ourselves,  and  we  do  not  propose  to  be  unduly  ex 
travagant  so  early  in  our  business  career.  Indeed, 
we  have  found  out  many  methods  of  helping  along, 
of  reaching  a  desired  result  without  a  great  outlay 
of  money.  We  make  some  mistakes,  to  be  sure  ; 
but  we  rectify  them  by  that  best  of  all  light,  —  expe 
rience.  We  both  work:  even  Celia  and  Eve  often 
lend  a  hand.  Celia  makes  some  five  or  six  hundred 
dollars  a  year  of  her  own,  and  Eve  has  done  some 
lovely  flower-pieces.  But  our  garden  does  engross 
us  with  a  curious  fascination. 

What,  indeed,  is  more  lovely,  more  satisfying, 
more  comforting,  than  flowers  !  They  are  always 
appropriate  :  they  cheer  the  cottage  as  well  as  the 
palace.  Every  year  the  demand  increases,  and  it  is 
rarely  that  the  true  florist  fails  of  success.  It  re 
quires  close  attention ;  but  then,  what  business  does 
not?  Work  seems  the  inexorable  law  for  the  many, 
and  a  business  that  promises  a  greater  success  every 
year  is  not  to  be  held  in  light  esteem.  My  idea  of 
prosperity  used  to  be  a  steady  position  at  one  hun 
dred  dollars  a  month ;  and,  having  exceeded  that,  I 
ought  to  be  content,  especially  as  the  prospect  seems 
to  be,  that  ten  years  hence,  if  our  business  increases 
as  it  has  so  far,  we  shall  have  all  we  desire,  though 
to  many  our  desires  may  seem  moderate.  What 
matter,  so  long  as  they  bring  leisure,  ease,  culture, 
happiness,  and  an  enjoyable  social  life? 


410  A  MODERN  ADAM  AND  EVE 

We  might  have  gone  West  on  a  ranch,  and  lived 
the  half-solitary  existence  that  cannot  be  evaded. 
Work  among  flocks  and  herds  winter  and  summer 
is  not  all  holiday-time.  You  cannot  depute  every 
thing  to  hired  help.  And  it  seems  to  me  that  at  first 
there  must  be  many  pinches  and  sacrifices  when  one 
starts  on  a  little  money,  as  poor  young  men  must. 

There  are,  of  course,  the  fruit-farms  and  vine 
yards  of  which  marvellous  stories  are  told,  and  the 
orange-groves  of  Florida.  But  trees  do  not  fruit  in 
a  single  season,  and  grapes  must  have  time  to  per 
fect  their  strength  for  steady  and  profitable  bearing. 
Even  in  these  glowing  lands,  there  needs  to  be  years 
of  waiting  and  patient  endeavor. 

And  the  land  is  not  all  filled  up  at  the  eastward. 
The  same  courage,  hard  work,  and  waiting,  would 
make  many  of  our  desolate  little  country-towns 
blossom  like  the  rose.  True,  the  land  is  often  held 
high  for  speculative  purposes ;  but  there  is  many  a 
time  when  some  entering-wedge  may  be  used  to  an 
advantage.  To  be  near  good  markets,  is  a  great 
object.  Flowers,  fruits,  berries,  eggs,  poultry,  are 
always  in  demand.  The  best  commands  the  highest 
prices  and  a  ready  sale.  There  will  always  be  rich 
people  who  can  indulge  in  extravagances. 

As  for  us,  we  are  satisfied  with  our  garden.  We 
sigh  neither  for  ranch,  vineyard,  nor  orange-groves, 


IN  A  GARDEN  411 

though  we  expect  to  visit  them  all  in  time.  We 
enjoy  having  our  friends  about  us,  and  within  our 
reach  such  pleasant  adjuncts  as  libraries,  art-gal 
leries,  museums,  theatres,  singers,  anil  noted 
speakers  and  lecturers  that  float  hitherward  from 
time  to  time.  Ours  is  a  kind  of  idyllic  life ;  and 
when  some  one  of  the  four  reads  aloud  a  good 
novel  or  a  stirring  poem,  we  give  thanks  that  we 
have  achieved  the  "  garden."  To  us  it  is  a  bit  of 
the  old  Paradise. 


IRENE  £.  JEROME'S    •    •    •    • 
1 n  DT   tjnnK'Q 


THE    "PERPETUAL    PLEASURE"    SERIES 

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"  Every  thick,  creamy  page  is  embellished  by  some  gems  of  art.  Sometimes 
it  is  but  a  dash  and  a  few  trembling  strokes;  at  others  an  impressive  landscape, 
but  in  all  and  through  all  runs  the  master  touch.  Miss  Jerome  has  the  genius 
of  an  Angelo,  and  the  execution  of  a  Guido.  The  beauty  of  the  sketches  will 
be  apparent  to  all,  having  been  taken  from  our  unrivalled  New  England 
scenery." —  Washington  Chronicle. 

THE   MESSAGE  OF  THE   BLUEBIRD,  Told  to  Me 

to   Tell    to    Others.     Original    illustrations  engraved  on  wood  by 
ANDREW.     Cloth  and  gold,  $2.00;  palatine  boards,  ribbon  ornaments,  $1.00. 
"  In  its  new  bindings  is  one  of  the  daintiest  combinations  of  song  and  illus 
tration  ever  published,  exhibiting  in  a  marked  degree  the  fine  poetic  taste  and 
wonderfully  artistic  touch  which  render  this  author's  works  so  popular.     The 
pictures  are  exquisite,  and  the  verses  exceedingly  graceful,  appealing  to  the 
highest  sensibilities.     The  little  volume  ranks  among  the  choicest  of  holiday 
souvenirs,  and  is  beautiful  and  pleasing."  —  Boston  Transcript. 

Sold  by  all  booksellers,  and  sent  by  mail,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  prict 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD  Publishers  Boston 


DOUGLAS 


A   WOMAN'S    INHERITANCE. 

"  Miss  Douglas's  Novels  are  all  worth  reading,  and  this  Is  one  full  of 
suggestions,  interesting  situations,  and  bright  dialogue."  —  Cottage  Hearth. 

OUT  OF  THE  WRECK;  or,  Was  it  a  Victory? 
"  Bright  and  entertaining  as  Miss  Douglas's  stories  always  are,  this, 
her  new  one,  leads  them  all."  —  Jfew  Bedford  Standard. 

FLOYD    GRANDON'S    HONOR, 
"  Fascinating  throughout,  and  worthy  of  the  reputation  of  the  author." 

WHOM    KATHIE    MARRIED. 

Kathio  -was  the  heroine  of  the  popular  series  of  Kathie  Stories  for 
young  people,  the  readers  of  which  were  very  anxious  to  know  with 
•whom  Kathie  settled  down  ill  life.  Hence  this  story,  charmingly  written. 

LOST    IN   A    GREAT  CITY. 

"  There  are  the  power  of  delineation  and  robustness  of  expression  that 
would  credit  a  masculine  baud  in  the  present  volume. 

THE    OLD   WOMAN   WHO    LIVED    IN    A    SHOE. 
"  The  romances  of  Miss  Douglas's  creation  are  all  thrillingly  interest 
ing."  —  Cambridge  Tribune. 

HOPE    MILLS  ;   or,  Between  Friend  and  Sweetheart. 
"  Amanda  Douglas  is  one  of  the  favorite  authors  of  American  novel- 
readers."  —  Manchester  Mirror. 

FROM    HAND   TO    MOUTH. 

"There  Is  real  satisfaction  in  reading  this  book,  from  the  fact  that  we 
can  so  readily  'take  it  home"  to  ourselves."  —  Portland  Argus. 

NELLY    KINNARD'S    KINGDOM. 

"  The  Hartford  Religious  Herald  "  says,  "  This  story  is  so  fascinating, 
that  one  can  hardly  lay  it  down  after  taking  it  up." 

IN   TRUST;  or,  Dr.  Bertrand's  Household. 
"  She  writes  in  a  free,  fresh  and  natural  way,  and  her  character*  are 
never  overdrawn."  —  Manchester  Mirror. 

CLAUDIA. 

"  The  plot  is  very  dramatic,  and  the  denouement  startling.    Claudia,  the 
heroine,  is  one  of  those  self-sacrificing  characters  which  it  is  the  glory  of 
the  female  sex  to  produce."  —  Boston  Journal. 
STEPHEN    DANE. 

"  This  is  one  of  this  author's  happiest  and  most  successful  attempts  at 
novel-writing,  for  which  a  grateful  public  will  applaud  her."  —  Herald. 

HOME    NOOK;  or,  The  Crown  of  Duty. 

"  An  interesting  story  of  home-life,  not  wanting  in  incident,  and  writ 
ten  in  forcible  and  attractive  style."  —  New  York  Graphic. 

SYDNIE    ADRIANCE;  or,  Trying  the  World. 
"  The  works  of  Miss  Douglas  have  stood  the  test  of  popular  judgment, 
and  become  the  fashion. 

SEVEN    DAUGHTERS. 

The  charm  of  the  story  is  the  perfectly  natural  and  home-like  air  which 
pervades  it. 

THE    FORTUNES  OF   THE   FARADAYS 
"  Of  unexceptionable  literary  merit,  deeply  interesting  in  the  develop 
ment  of  the  plot."  —  Fall  River  News. 

FOES  OF   HER  HOUSEHOLD 
"  Full   of  interest  from  the  first  chapter  to  the  end." 

Sold  by  all  booksellers,  and  sent  by  mail,  post-paid,  on  receipt  of  price. 
LEE     AND     SHEPARD,    PUBLISHERS,    BOSTON. 


TOWNSEND'S 


Uniform  Edition    Cloth    $1.50  each. 

A    BOSTON    GIRL'S    AMBITIONS 

"  There  is  nothing  of  the  '  sensational,'  or  so-called  realistic  school,  In 
her  writings.  On  the  contrary,  they  are  noted  for  their  healthy  moral 
tone  and  pure  sentiment,  and  yet  are  not  wanting  in  STRIKING  SITUA 
TIONS  AND  DRAMATIC  INCIDENTS."  —Chicago  Journal. 

BUT    A    PHILISTINE 

"The  moral  lessons,  the  true  life  principles  taught  in  this  book,  render 
Jt  one  which  it  is  a  pleasure  to  recommend  for  its  stimulating  influence 
upon  the  higher  nature.  Its  literary  quality  is  fine." 

LENOX    DARE 

"Among  the  best  of  her  productions  we  place  the  volume  here  under 
notice.  In  temper  and  tone  the  work  is  calculated  to  exert  a  healthful 
and  elevating  influence,  and  tends  to  bring  the  reader  into  more  intimate 
sympathy  with  what  is  most  pure  and  noble  in  our  nature."  —  New-Eng 
land  Methodist. 

DARYLL    GAP;    or,   Whether  it   Paid 

"A  story  of  the  petroleum  days,  and  of  a  family  who  struck  oil.    Tier 
plots  are  well   arranged,  and   her  characters  are  clearly  aud   strongly 
Jrawn."  —  PMxburg  Recorder. 
A    WOMAN'S    WORD,    AND    HOW    SHE    KEPT    IT 

''The  celebrity  of  Virginia  F.  Townsend  as  an  authoress,  her  brilliant 
de.sciiptive  powers,  and  pure,  vigorous  imagination,  will  insure  a  hearty 
welcome  for  the  above-entitled  volume  in  the  writer's  happiest  vein."  — 
fashion  Quarterly. 

THAT    QUEER    GIRL 

"A  fresh,  wholesome  book  about  good  men  and  good  women,  bright 
and  cheery  in  style,  and  pure  in  morals.    Just  the  book  to  take  a  young 
girl's  fancy,  and  help  her  to  grow  up,  like  Madeline  and  Argia,  into  the 
sweetness  of  real  girlhood."  —  People's  Monthly. 
ONLY    GIRLS 

"This  volume  shows  how  two  persons,  '  only  girls,'  saved  two  men 
from  crime,  even  from  ruin  of  body  and  soul.  The  story  is  ingenious  and 
graphic,  and  kept  the  writer  of  this  notice  up  far  into  the  small  hours  of 
yesterday  morning."  —  Washington  Chronicle. 


The  Holland  Series    Cloth    $1.00  each 
THE  HOLLANDS 

SIX  IN  ALL 

THE  DEERINGS  OF  MEDBURY 

THE  MILLS  OP  TUXBURY 

"  There  is  a  fascination  about  the  stories  of  Miss  Townsend  that  gives 
them  a  firm  hold  upon  the  public,  their  chief  charm  being  their  simplicity 
and  fidelity  to  nature."  —  Commonwealth. 

Sold  by  all  booksellers  and  newsdealers,  and  sent  by  mail,  postpaid, 
on  receipt  of  price 

LEE    AND    SHEPARD    Publishers    Boston 


BY 


POPULAR 

.  AUTHORS 


AN   AMERICAN    GIRL   ABROAD. 

By  ADELINE  F.  TRAFTON.     i6mo,  cloth,  illustrated.    $1.50. 
)ne  of  the  most  bright,  chatty,  wide-awake  books  of  travel  ever  written.     It  abound* 
V   ^formation,  is  as  pleasant  reading  as  a  story  book,  and  full  of  the  wit  and  sparkle  oi 
"  An  American  Girl     let  loose  from  school  and  ready  for  a  frolic. 

ONLY   GIRLS. 

By  VIRGINIA  F.  TOWNSEND,  Author  of  "That  Queer  Girl,"  &c.,  &c.     xamo,  cloth, 

illustrated.     $1.50. 

"  It  is  a  thrilling  story,  written  in  a  fascinating  style,  and  the  plot  is  adroitly  handled." 
It  might  be  placed  in  any  Sabbath  School  library,  so  pure  is  it  in  tone,  and  yet  it  is  so 

free  from  the  mawkishness  and  silliness  that  mar  the  class  of  books  usually  found  there, 

that  the  veteran  novel  reader  is  apt  to  finish  it  at  a  sitting. 

THE   DOCTOR'S   DAUGHTER. 

By  SOPHIE  MAY,  Author  of  "  Our  Helen,"  "The  Asbury  Twins,"  &c.  i2mo,  cloth, 
illustrated.  $1.50. 

"  A  delightful  book,  original  and  enjoyable,"  says  the  Brownville  Echo. 

"  A  fascinating  story,  unfolding,  with  artistic  touch,  the  young  life  of  one  of  our  im 
pulsive,  sharp-witted,  transparent  and  pure-minded  girls  of  the  nineteenth  century," 
says  TAe  Contributor,  Boston. 

SALLT  "WILLIAMS. 

The  Mountain  Girl.     By  Mrs.  EDNA  D.  CHENEY,  Author  of  "  Patience,"  "  Social 

Games,"  "  The  Child  of  the  Tide,"  &c.  I2mo,  cloth,  illustrated.  $1.30. 
Pure,  strong,  healthy,  just  what  might  be  expected  from  the  pen  of  so  gifted  a  writer 
as  Mrs.  Cheney.  A  very  interesting  picture  of  life  among  the  New  Hampshire  hills, 
enlivened  by  the  tangle  of  a  story  of  the  ups  and  downs  of  every-day  life  in  this  out- 
of-the-way  locality.  The  characters  introduced  are  quaintly  original,  and  the  adven 
tures  are  narrated  with  remarkable  skill. 

LOTTIE   EAMES. 

Or,  do  your  best  and  leave  the  rest.     By  a  Popular  Author.    i6mo,  illus.    $1.50. 
"  A  wholesome  story  of  home  life,  full  of  lessons  of  self-sacrifice,  but  always  bright 
and  attractive  in  its  varied  incidents." 

RHODA   THORNTON'S    GIRLHOOD. 

By  Mrs.  MARY  E.  PRATT.     i6mo,  cloth,  illustrated.    $1.50. 

A  hearty  and  healthy  story,  dealing  with  young  folks  and  home  scenes,  with  sleigh. 
ing,  fishing  and  other  frolics  to  make  things  lively. 


The  above  six  volumes  are  furnished  in  a  handsome  box,  for  $9.00,  or  sold 
separately  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  by  mail,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  price  by 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD,  Publishers, Boston. 


BY 

OPULAR 
AUTHORS 


SEVEN   DAUGHTERS. 


By  Miss  A.  M.  DOUGLAS,  Author  of  "In  Trust,"  "Stephen  Dane,"  "Claudia,* 
"  Sydnie  Adriance,"  "  Home  Nook,"  "  Nelly  Kennard's  Kingdom." 

121110,  cloth,  illustrated.     $1.50. 

"  A  charming  romance  of  Girlhood,"  full  of  incident  and  humor.  The  "  Seven 
Daughters"  are  characters  which  reappear  in  some  of  Miss  Douglas'  later  books,  in 
this  book  they  form  a  delightful  group,  hovering  on  the  verge  01  Womanhood,  with 
all  the  little  perplexities  of  home  life  and  love  dreams  as  incidentals,  making  a  fresh  and 
attractive  story. 

OUR   HELEN. 

By  SOPHIE  MAY.     121110,  cloth,  illustrated.     $1.50. 

"  The  story  is  a  very  attractive  one,  as  free  from  the  sensational  and  impossible  as 
could  be  desired,  and  at  the  same  time  full  of  interest,  and  pervaded  by  the  same  bright, 
cheery  sunshine  that  we  find  in  the  author's  earlier  books.  She  is  to  be  congratulated 
on  the  success  of  her  essay  in  a  new  field  of  literature,  to  which  she  will  be  warmly  wel 
comed  by  those  who  know  and  admire  her  '  Prudy  Books.'  "  —  Graphic. 

THE    ASBURY    TWINS. 

By  SOPHIE  MAY,  Author  of  "The  Doctor's  Daughter,"  "Our  Helen,"  &c.     12010, 

cloth,  illustrated.     $1.50. 

"  Has  the  ring  of  genuine  genius,  and  the  sparkle  of  a  gem  of  the  first  water.  We 
read  it  one  cloudy  winter  day,  and  it  was  as  good  as  a  Turkish  bath,  or  a  three  hours' 
soak  in  the  sunshine."  —  Cooperstown  Republican. 

THAT   QUEER   GIRL. 

By  Miss  VIRGINIA  F.  TOWNSEND,  Author  of  "  Only  Girls,"  &c.     iamo,  cloth,  illus 

trated.     $1.50. 

Queer  only  in  being  unconventional,  brave  and  frank,  an  "  old-fashioned  girl,"  and 
very  sweet  and  charming.  As  indicated  in  the  title,  is  a-  little  put  of  the  common  track, 
and  the  wooing  and  the  winning  are  as  queer  as  the  heroine.  The  New  Haven 
Register  says:  "  Decidedly  the  best  work  which  has  appeared  from  the  pen  of  Misg 
Townsend." 

RUNNING   TO   WASTE. 

The  Story  of  a  Tomboy.      By  GEORGE  M.  BAKER.      i6mo,  cloth,  illustrated. 

$1.50. 

"  This  book  is  one  of  the  most  entertaining  we  have  read  for  a  long  time.  It  is  well 
written,  full  of  humor,  and  good  humor,  and  it  has  not  a  dull  or  uninteresting  page. 
It  is  lively  and  natural,  and  overflowing  with  the  best  New  England  character  and 
traits.  There  is  also  a  touch  of  pathos,  which  always  accompanies  humor,  in  the  life 
and  death  of  the  tomboy's  mother."  —  Newburyport  Herald. 

DAISY    TR  AVERS; 

Or  the  Girls  of   Hive  Hall.     By  ADELAIDE  F.  SAMUELS,  Author  of  "  Dick  and 

Daisy  Stories,"  "  Dick  Travers  Abroad,"  &c.     i6mo,  cloth,  illustrated.     $1.50. 

The  story  of  Hive  Hall  is  full  of  life   and  action,  and   told   in   the   same   happy 

style  which  made  the  earlier  life  of  its  heroine  so  attractive,  and  caused  the  Dick  and 

Daisy  books  to  become  great  favorites  with  the  young.     What  was  said  of  the  younger 

books  can,  with  equal  truth,  be  said  of  Daisy  grown  up. 


The  above  six  looks  are  furnished  in  a  handsome  box  for   fq.oo,  or  sold 
teparate,  by  all  booksellers,  and  sent  by  mail,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  price. 

LEE    AND    SHEPARD     Publishers    Boston 


RIGHT   DOCKS  OF  TRAVEl 


AND  11""^ ~ ~       ~ 

'REEZY      -  -  -  -  BY  SIX   BRIGHT  WOMEN  -  -  -  - 


A  WINTER   IN   CENTRAL   AMERICA   AND  MEXICO 

By  HELEN  J  SANBORN.    Cloth,  $1.50. 
"  A  bright,  attractive  narrative  by  a  wide-awake  Boston.girl." 

A   SUMMER   IN   THE   AZORES,  with  a  Glimpse  of  Madeira 

By  Miss  C.  ALICE  BAKER.     Little  Classic  style.     Cloth,  gilt  edges,  $1.25. 
"  Miss  Baker  gives  us  a  breezy,  entertaining  description  of  these  picturesque 

islands.     She  is  an  observing  traveller,  and  makes  a  graphic  picture  of  the 

quaint  people  and  customs." —  Chicago  Advance. 

LIFE   AT   PUGET   SOUND 

With  sketches  of  travel  in  Washington  Territory,  British  Columbia,  Oregon, 
and  California.     By  CAROLINE  C.  LEIGHTON.     i6mo,  cloth,  $1.50. 
"  Your  chapters  on  Puget  Sound  have  charmed  me.     Full  of  life,  deeply 

interesting,  and   with  just  that  class  of  facts,  and  suggestions  of  truth,  tna* 

cannot  fail  to  help  the  Indian  and  the  Chinese."  —  WENDELL  PHILLIPS. 

EUROPEAN   BREEZES 

By  MAKGERY  DEANE.     Cloth,  gilt  top,  $1.50.      Being  chapters  of  travel 
through  Germany,  Austria,  Hungary,  and  Switzerland,  covering  places  not 
usually   visited  by  Americans  in  making  "  the  Grand  Tour  of  the  Conti 
nent,"  by  the  accomplished  writer  of  "  Newport  Breezes." 
"  A  very  bright,  fresh  and  amusing  account,  which  tells  us  about  a  host  of 

things  we  never  heard  ol  before,  and  is  worth  two  ordinary  books  of  European 

travel."  —  Woman's  Journal, 

BEATEN  PATHS  ;  or,  A  Woman's  Vacation  in  Europe 

By  ELLA  W.  THOMPSON.     i6mo,  cloth.     $i  50. 
A  lively  and  chatty  book  of  travel,  with  pen-pictures  humorous  and  graphic, 

that  are  decidedly  out  of  the  "  beaten  paths  "  of  description. 

AN    AMERICAN   GIRL   ABROAD 

By  Miss  ADELINE   TRAFTON,   author  of  "His   Inheritance,"  "  Katherine 
Earle,"  etc.     i6mo.     Illustrated.     $1.50. 
"  A  sparkling  account  of  a  European  trip  by  a  wide-awake,  intelligent,  and 

irrepressible  American  girl.     Pictured  with  a  freshness  and  vivacity  that  is 

delightful."  —  Utica  Observer 

CURTIS   GUILD'S   TRAVELS 
BRITONS  AND  MUSCOVITES;  or,  Traits  of  Two  Empires 

Cloth,  $2.00. 

OVER  THE  OCEAN;  or,  Sights  and  Scenes  in  Foreign  Lands 

By  CURTIS  GUILD,  editor  of  "  The  Boston  Commercial  Bulletin."    Crown  8vo. 

Cloth,  $2.50. 

"  The  utmost  that  any  European  tourist  can  hope  to  do  is  to  tell  the  old 
story  in  a  somewhat  fresh  way,  and  Mr.  Guild  has  succeeded  in  every  part  of 
his  book  in  doing  this."  —  Philadelphia  Bulletin. 
ABROAD  AGAIN;  or,  Fresh  Forays  in  Foreign  Fields 
Uniform   with   "  Over   the   Ocean."      By   the    same    author       Crown   8vo. 

Cloth,  $2.50. 

"  He  has  given  us  a  life-picture.  Europe  is  done  in  a  style  that  must  serve 
as  an  invaluable  guide  to  those  who  go  '  over  the  ocean,'  as  well  as  an  inter 
esting  companion."  —  Halifax  Citizen. 


Sold  by  all  booksellers,  and  sent  by  mail,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  prio* 

AND  SHEPARD  Publishers  Boston 


Date  Due 


CCC  12 


2  7  1978 


= 


PRINTED    IN    U.S.A. 


CAT.    NO.   24    161  (**f 


3  1970  00287  3674 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A  A      000269125    1 


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